It's a Small Galaxy After All
by Donna's Daydreams
Summary: James T. Kirk has worked for years to have Starfleet implement a program where children can join their parents in space. His main objective, to bring his daughter, Jamie, on board. After his wife's death, he'd left her with his mother and realizes he's lost valuable time. The program is just getting off the ground so there are bound to be some space bumps along the way!
1. Chapter 1

What if James T. Kirk had a daughter? And what if he'd worked tirelessly to implement a new program for "Children in Space" so he could have his daughter with him? That's the premise behind this story. Hope you like it!

Chapter 1

"It had six foot tentacles that spun so fast my brains were scrambled! That ride was wicked fun!"

Jamie Kirk stared across the bright orange table at one of the teenaged boys who shared her learning cycle. Fascinated by the rhythm of his words, rising and falling like ocean waves on Earth, she bit into an Elusian peach. The fruit exploded as it always did, sending bright pink juice down the front of her green velour tunic. Embarrassed, Jamie grabbed up a napkin and swabbed at the spill. Everything smeared and the front of the tunic looked as colorful as an exploding super nova. She slid a little lower in the molded chair, hoping no one - especially the five older kids - noticed.

"Oh, Javik," the teenaged girl with bright pink dreadlocks squealed. "It sounds way stellar! Wish we could go down planet while we're here. Too bad we aren't on the _Excalibur."_

"Why?" Javik asked, leaning over the girl to grab a handful of cherries from her tray. "The _Enterprise_ is a great ship."

The girl's mouth pouted. "Because of _him! _ None of us are going to get within hailing frequencies of Disney Mavaroon."

"What you talkin' about, girl?" Thomas, another boy in the group of olders, asked. "I heard we go to shore leave, the whole learning cycle."

"My name is Centauri," the girl corrected him with a mean look in her green eyes, "and where did you hear that? From Miz Balderdash?"

_That's not her name_, Jamie thought. _It's Balderdasian and she's from Titan_. But she didn't say it out loud. Ever since Centauri, had come aboard the ship at the last outpost, Jamie tried to stay out of her way. The older girl liked to play mean tricks and she constantly picked on the younger children. Until today Jamie had managed to stay out of Centauri's sight. Today she'd gotten shoved to the front of the feeding line and ended up at the table with the olders.

_Mr. Spock would say luck is illogical, but I sure hope mine lasts_. Three of the very youngest children, littler than Jamie's nine years, cried whenever Centauri walked into a room. _You gotta wonder what she did to them_. Jamie slid lower in her chair and wished it was time for the middle meal to be over.

"I heard rumors like that too," Peter answered. "Nobody comes this close to Mavaro and misses Disney Mavaroon."

"We will," Centauri predicted with a long drawn out sigh, "because we have the lamest Captain in Starfleet. He's not going to let any of us go down planet. You'll see."

The only other girl among the older children was named Tina. Jamie pretended not to notice the way Tina eyes widened as she looked across the table and elbowed Centauri.

"Um, Centi . . ." she used a nickname and tried to get her attention. "Captain Kirk isn't so bad. He's one of the people who pushed for the Children in Space program. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be able to travel with our parents."

Javik and Peter nodded agreement. Thomas spoke up too. "He be a good man, Captain Kirk. I think we go down planet soon."

"That's how much you know," Centauri sneered. "Captain Kirk is a . . ."

The girl said a lot of words Jamie was sure were Venuvian curse words or maybe Klingon. She hadn't known a lot of other world curses until she'd come aboard the Enterprise. It was amazing what you could learn outside of learning cycle, just by listening to the crew members. "If this was the _Excalibur_, we'd have a whole deck for our needs. Not be forced to march like prisoners in a chain gang from one place to another."

"Centi," Tina hissed. "Don't you know that's the aptaincay's aughterday?"

_Captain's Daughter. _Jamie knew Old Earth pig Latin just fine. Her face flamed and she slithered down until her chin almost touched the edge of the table_. Why wasn't it time for middle meal to be over? I wish I was brave enough to tell her that soon the Enterprise would have a whole deck just for the children. The Captain . . . um . . .  
Daddy told me so._

Centauri's green eyes changed from angry to pretend nice. In a sickening sweet voice, she stared at Jamie. "I just noticed you sitting there. What's your name? I've only been on the Enterprise about a week and I don't know everyone yet."

"Jamie," she whispered.

_Yup, my illogical luck ran out_. _She knows I exist._

"Jamie, what a cute name. What do your parent's do on the ship? My mother is the second in command of the science techs."

_My daddy is the Captain_. Jamie knew she should just say it, but the words bunched up in her throat. Tears prickled behind her eyes and the inside of her nose burned. There was no reason to cry, or even to feel like crying, but she did. _My daddy is the Captain and I wish he'd never brought me here._

"Don't be silly, Centi," Tina helped her out. "That's Jamie Kirk, she's the Captain's Daughter."

"Really?" Centauri gently pushed her bowl of cherries - the real kind - not synthesized green ones colored red - toward Jamie. "Is that so? It must be exciting to be a captain's daughter."

_Not really. _Jamie wanted to say but kept her mouth closed tight. If there was one thing she'd learned since boarding the ship, silence kept you safe. Most of the time.

"I bet you can ask your little old daddy anything and he'd do it, wouldn't he?" Centauri nudged the cherries closer. "Take a few. I earned them because I had the best score on the Geometry test today."

"Cheated, you mean," Peter mumbled but Jamie wasn't sure anyone else heard. All the others ignored him.

Timidly, Jamie took a cherry and popped it into her mouth. The sweet taste exploded inside and she savored every bite. A little more boldly, she scooped up two more before Centauri drew the bowl away.

"Did you hear us talking about Disney Mavaroon, Jamie?"

Jamie nodded and chewed. Just like real Earth cherries, like the kind that grew on Gramma's farm. A familiar pang of homesickness swept over her and the fruit lost it's sweet taste. Jamie almost chocked trying to swallow. _I wish I was back home now._

"Good!" Centauri clapped her pretty hands, the nail color on the tips of her fingers glinting into rainbows. "I'll bet if Jamie asked her daddy, he'd let us all go down planet. Wouldn't he, Jamie?"

Biting a corner of her lip, Jamie didn't know how to answer. Finally, she mumbled, "I don't know."

"Surely you can ask him, can't you?" Centauri pressed. "You'd have a grand time. Wouldn't she, Javik?"

"Ah, sure," he agreed, "lots of amusements for you. Like the Octupus Whirl - wicked fun."

"So will you ask him?"

"He's awful busy," Jamie said, then a little louder so they wouldn't think she had anymore chance with the great Captain Kirk than they did, "I might not even see him before we leave orbit."

"Don't be silly," Centauri laughed. "I'm sure you can ask him soon. Think what a great time we'd have! Disney Mavaroon is the best fun park in the galaxy. Everybody says so."

Jamie had heard plenty about the fun park. It did sound exciting and she knew she'd love going. The only problem was she really didn't know her father well enough to ask him anything. _I barely ever saw him. _Even though he always tried to Sky mail or contact her by Galaxy Greetings, Jamie felt like the real Captain Kirk was a stranger she'd just met. Even when he'd come to Earth a few times to visit, he felt more like a . . . well . . . like a daddy there than he did here on the ship. On board the Enterprise, he was Captain Kirk - not Daddy.

"So, you'll ask him if we can go down planet, Jamie?" Centauri pressed. "If you do, I'm sure I can do something nice for you someday. If not . . ." the girl lifted her hands and pretended to be just disappointed, but Jamie knew better.

If she didn't ask Daddy about going to the fun park, Centauri would make her life miserable. _Then I'll be one of the little kids who cries when she comes into a room_. Jamie's tummy twisted upside down like it had when she'd been allowed to try a space ride simulator.

"I . . . I guess."

"Good!" Centauri clapped her hands just as the bell rang to end middle meal.

_Sure, now it rings!_

Miz Balderdasian spoke pleasantly above the chattering and shoving in of chairs. "All right everyone, clean off your eating space and line up."

Every meal it was the same. They ate, put the trays back into the clean up slot and lined up by size. Little children first, middle sized children - like Jamie - then the five older teens. Every few weeks as they visited the outposts in Sector H, there were new classmates. Centauri had been the latest student. The learning cycle could hold up to 30 children. Jamie read the sign on the door, "Maximum Occupancy - 30" everyday. It gave her mind something to thing about besides other worrisome thoughts. Right now there were only 15 students working at half of the computer terminals.

"Head back to the classroom," Miz Balderdasian said. "Remember to keep a straight line and your lips closed. We want the Children in Space program to be a success, don't we? None of us want to jeopardize our being here by being unruly or troublesome to the crew."

The olders sang out, "Yesssssssssssssssss," in a taunting way.

Jamie kept silent and thought, _No. I want to go home. Only, the farm wouldn't be home anymore. Not until Gramma came back. _Tears she couldn't stop filled her eyes. _I will not cry._

Just like every other day since they'd boarded, the children were expected to walk single file from their designated cafeteria to the classroom. They were not allowed to talk or bother any of the other crewmen or women going about their business. Every second of every day they were carefully supervised, guarded almost like one of them planned to storm the bridge and take over the ship. The thought cheered Jamie up just a little - imagining Centauri with her rainbow fingertips trying to take over Mr. Spock's science station. _We are like prisoners._

"Hiss, Jamie," a low voice behind startled her into turning around.

"Quiet everyone," the teacher turned around and quelled them all with a severe glance. Usually she was kind and soft spoken, except when they had to walk the corridors. Then the teacher turned into a hand wringing, lip biting worrier - as if she was afraid someone might complain they'd done something wrong. Jamie wondered a lot just why Daddy wanted children in space if they had to be kept locked away from everyone else.

"Jamie," Centauri hissed again. "I saw him, going down that corridor toward the recreation decks. If you hurry, you can catch him."

Shocked, Jamie answered out loud before she could stop herself. "I can't do that!"

"Jamie Kirk! Do you want to sit in a solitary cubicle for the rest of the afternoon? If you do, then just keep misbehaving."

"I'm not . . . I . . . she . . ." Jamie knew she couldn't tattle on Centauri. Already the older's eyes had a mean, I'll-get-even-with-you glare.

"You of all people should know how important this program is to Starfleet!" The scolding went on in a hushed whisper. "We must do nothing to jeopardize the importance of this, especially today."

Jamie wanted to ask why today was any different than any other day, but didn't dare. Ever since boarding the ship, Jamie found out most things by listening in to what the grownups said - the rare times she saw any grownups other than the teacher. On the Enterprise there was a grownup world and a children's world. "Yes, ma'am."

The group started walking back down the corridor toward the learning center. Out of the corner of her eye, Jamie saw the Captain, another man with a head of almost white hair and a magnificent reddish cape, plus two or three officers. Mr. Spock followed several steps behind the others with a recording device.

"Ask him now," Centauri jabbed Jamie hard in the back. "He won't say no if he's with other people."

_Oh, he could say no all right and probably a lot more. _Jamie had heard him holler plenty since she'd come aboard. "I can't."

Centauri didn't take that as an answer. Shoving Jamie's back hard, she sent her in the direction of the men. Jamie tried to keep her balance but the corridor's floors had been freshly polished and she slid forward. Windmilling her arms, she fought and lost a battle with gravity, landing in a mess of arms and legs at the feet of the great Captain Kirk . . . um, Daddy.

He didn't look too angry. In fact, he looked scared. Striding toward her, he scooped her up with a worried look on his face. "Jamie, what happened? Are you injured? Who did this to you? Lt. Simons, call Dr. Mc Coy and have him come up . . ." Pressing her against his chest, he hugged hard, squeezing the breath almost out of her. "If you're hurt, I'll never forgi . . . where's that medic!"

"I believe, " Mr. Spock interrupted, "those are not wounds but some sort of stain."

Daddy's eyes got wider and he stood her back down on her feet. "Stains? What's that on your shirt?"

Blushing a bright red, Jamie stared down at her messy tunic. "Elusian peach. It squirted."

"I see." The words were clipped and tight. "Why aren't you with the other children? You know the rules."

"I . . . uh . . ." Again she didn't want to tattle on Centauri.

"Simons! Go find that teacher and take my daughter with you! Tell her she's on report and I'll demand a full explanation for this." His anger snapped the man to attention, got him a brisk, "yes, Captain," and he reached for Jamie's hand.

"But, Daddy . . ." She jerked away from the lieutenant. Since she was here, she might as well ask him about going down planet. _No telling when I'll see him again. Maybe when I'm ten and that's five whole months. "_I needed to ask you something. Could we . . ."

She didn't get the rest of the words out. Daddy leaned over and grabbed her wrist tight. Pulling her almost nose to nose, he spoke quietly, demanding obedience. "What you can do is go with Lt. Simon to your classroom. I will speak with you later. You have interrupted an extremely important meeting. Now, go!"

Too late Jamie got a good look at the man with the beautiful cape and the white hair. He also wore a clip on one shoulder, holding the folds of fabric in place. It was a silver Palamarian leaf, a symbol of royalty on Mavaro. So this must be the King of the Planet, the man the Federation wanted to impress so he'd use their shipping lines instead of the Altrusians. Miz Balderdasian had explained it all in learning cycle before they got to Mavaro. She'd also told them how important it was not to 'rock the ship' while he was on board. King Hescate did not approve of children at all. No wonder Daddy looked so spitting mad, angry enough to chew memory chips and spit them out.

_I just think I made a big mistake. What was that word teacher used? I think I just jeopardized everything._

_Ooops!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

True to her word, Miz Balderdasian put Jamie in the solitary cubicle, which was supposed to be the worst punishment, for the rest of her learning cycle. Being in solitary meant you could see everyone else in the room, but you couldn't talk to them or 'interact' as teacher said. All you could do in solitary was your own work, carefully planned and presented at the computer terminal. If you didn't work, or you tried to get out of your seat and play, the computer had a series of little probing punishments depending on how old or how incorrigible you were.

Jamie had heard teacher explain the word to Javik the other day when he'd protested the series of small shocks he'd received in the cubicle for trying to override the ship's navigational system. So far Jamie hadn't earned the cubicle and she was a little scared to try it. To her disgust, when she let ten minutes go by without answering a dumb question in her number tests, the computerized voice went through a silly chant, "You want to learn and grow smarter. You know the answer to this question." Like for a baby! Jamie put down the wrong answer just because. The computer sighed sadly and spoke tragically, "I'm sorry, that's wrong. Do you want to try again?"

Jamie did not. She raced through the rest of her work for the day and then called up a book to read. Thankfully, the computer did not make any comments on how often she turned a 'page' or how slow she read. That was good since Jamie wasn't really reading. She was staring out the cubicle at Centauri, wondering how she could get back at her for today's mishap.

_Like I wanted him mad at me! Guess it doesn't matter, everyone else is too._

Miss Balderdasian had been horrified when Lt. Simons came dragging Jamie back to the straight line and told her she was on report. Teacher almost cried. Centauri was mad too when she poked Jamie in the back and asked, "What did he say?"

"I didn't get to ask him," Jamie answered.

"You'd better! Or else."

Jamie was almost glad to go in solitary.

She spent most of the cycle listing everything she did not like.

1\. The Enterprise

2\. Not being home

3\. Centauri

4\. Synthesized food

5\. Captain Kirk

It had been a long learning cycle and she was so ready for recreation. To Jamie that was the best time of the whole day, the only good thing about the Enterprise. Although the children's deck hadn't been finished yet, they were allowed to spend time after learning cycle in one of the rec rooms.

At first Jamie thought it might be boring, but it turned out to be exciting and fun - especially the Holo Room. You could set the holograms to be anywhere - a forest, a beach, and even a fun park probably. And ever since the Federation had found the technology to improve holo's on an ancient planet called Taurous, they were almost like the real thing. Trees were solid; the bark even scraped your legs if you tried to climb. The sand was gritty and stuck to wet feet. A holo adventure that included wild animals could be risky because the animals actually killed and maimed, just like real life ones. Of course, Mr. Scott had somehow programmed the Holo Room to Safety mode for the children. Only grown-ups could program them all the way up to Danger Zone.

Jamie loved to program the Holo Room to resemble the farm in Iowa. It was almost like being back home. Today, she wanted more than anything to step inside and forget being in space. Best of all, at first meal she'd talked two of the other youngers into joining her. Trevya was from a planet in Rigelian and spoke only in sign. No one else would play with her and Jamie knew how that felt! Then there was Baxter, Mr. Scott's nephew. His parents had both been killed when their boat exploded. Baxter had been going to a school on a Federation planet when Mr. Scott stopped for a visit. To no one's surprise, Baxter was soon onboard. Unlike Jamie, he was crazy about the Enterprise and knew everything - almost - about it. Baxter understood what it was like to be the Captain's daughter - almost.

"Jamie, quit dawdling."

_Oh, slime devils_! Why is _she_ here?

"It's time for me to go to recreation now," Jamie spoke up and pressed her booted feet hard into the floor.

Nanny Banks shook her head. "Not today. The Captain left orders that you were to go directly to your quarters after learning cycle and spend the rest of the evening there. Your recreation privileges are being denied after the spectacle you made of yourself in front of King Hescate."

_Slime devils!_

Baxter shot her a sympathetic glance but he had no choice but to follow the other students and the teacher to the turbo lift.

Kicking the wall, Jamie didn't try to hide her displeasure.

"Stop that!" Nanny hissed. "Do you want me to end up on report like Ava?"

_I wanted to go to the Holo room. And I don't care if you end up on report or not. I don't even like you._ Not that Jamie planned to say that out loud. She had to spend too much time with Nanny Banks and getting along with her was easier.

"I don't know why you're acting so put upon," Nanny continued as they walked to the turbo lift and got on. "Officer's Deck. If you hadn't behaved so abominably today, the Captain planned to have you come to dinner with him and meet the King. It's upset all my plans too. Varoom invited me to a concert and dinner on B Deck tonight - which I had to refuse."

Varoom was her special friend. He was a shuttlecraft pilot and spent most of his time on the shuttle deck in the bowels of the ship. Sometimes after she was in bed, Jamie could hear Nanny Banks giggling as she used the Com-Chat to talk to him.

"It's not often I get an evening off."

Jamie kept silent.

The turbo lift let them out in the quiet corridor near the Captain and First Officer's wing. Jamie's cabin was one past the Captain's yeoman's quarters. She and Nanny Bank shared three small rooms - two sleeping quarters with a room in between for play and meals. When Jamie didn't have learning or other cycles, she ate her meals there - unless she was carefully pressed, starched and sent to eat at the Captain's table or in his quarters. That didn't happen often. Jamie sometimes wished it didn't happen at all.

"I don't know why I signed on as a Nanny," the woman said as she did four or five times a day. "Join Starfleet, see the universe. I should have stayed in Atlantis and done tours for a living. I loved being a tour hostess."

_Wish you had too._

If Jamie had to change her list of everything she did not like about the Enterprise, having a nanny came almost first. Back on earth, Jamie had pretty much been able to do whatever she wanted. Almost. She had to tell Gramma, of course, if she was going out of the house or down by the lake. But, Gramma didn't hang over her every second watching how much she ate or telling her it was time to go to sleep.

Almost the first thing the Captain . . . um . . . Daddy did when Jamie got on the ship was introduce her to Nanny Banks. "She'll be taking care of you, reminding you where you need to be each day, that sort of thing. If you need anything, you can tell her and she'll get in touch with me."

_Why can't I just talk to you myself?_

It was one more thing about the Enterprise and this strange new world she didn't understand. Another thing was having to be on the Officer's Deck. Even though the new children's deck hadn't been built yet, most of the other children lived with their parents in larger cabins on the C Deck. Centauri and her mother, Javik and his older brothers who were in Engineering. Even Baxter lived with Mr. Scott who'd given up his officer's quarters to move down below - closer to his beloved engines anyway.

Jamie didn't like having to be oooooooooooooh sooooooooooooooooooooh quiet in the Officer's Deck quarters. Everytime she actually made a little bit of noise in her own room, Nanny Bank would pop up, "Shush, shush! You might disturb someone."

_If I could go back to Earth I wouldn't disturb anyone._

"If you hadn't been so naughty today, I would be out with Varoom tonight," Nanny sighed as she placed her hand over the door and waited for it to whoosh open.

"Just so you know, missy, you're going to sleep cycle early!"

Right before she walked into her quarters, Jamie stared down the hall at the Captain's door. She knew he was inside because a little green light glowed at the top of the ceiling showing it was occupied. _I wish . . . I wish I could just go ask him _. . . What would she ask him? Every day Jamie thought of more and more questions she wanted to ask. The first one would be Why did you bring me here?

* * *

It had not been a good day. Jim Kirk's head pounded in the worst way. Lying on his bed he willed his shoulders to relax, to ease down from their hunched position around his ears. In less than a few hours, he'd be expected to be in his dress uniform, entertaining a very boring King at dinner. _And I'd rather be with Jamie - maybe on the rec decks finding something that would make her happy_.

He sighed, leaned over and pressed the Com button. "Kirk to Sickbay."

"Yes, Captain," a soft voice answered. "How may I help you?"

"Send someone to my quarters with something for a headache."

"Right away, Sir."

"Kirk out."

He must have dozed for a few minutes because it seemed no time when he heard the soft chime that signaled someone at the door. "Come," he answered using a voice command.

The door whooshed open to reveal Dr. McCoy, carrying a decanter and a small brown bottle. "I heard your call and thought I'd come myself."

Jim smiled and sat up. "It's just a headache. But, I see you've brought some Saurian brandy."

"Just what the doctor ordered," Mc Coy grinned and opened the cabinet where Jim stored glasses. He poured out a small amount in each glass - the potency of Saurian brandy was almost 200 proof - higher than anything on Earth. "I brought some of these pills too, but try the brandy first."

After a few cautious sips, Jim's headache did begin to ebb away. "I may survive tonight's dinner after all."

"So," McCoy sat down across from the bed and leaned back in a brown leather chair Jim had brought from his father's study on the farm. "What caused the headache? Let me guess, our notable guest?"

Jim made a face. "It's not hard to guess that. The man is impossible. He insisted on being shown all over the ship - making nasty comments at every move. When we got to Engineering and he made some crack about the engines, I thought Scotty might beam him with the wrench in his hand. Having him onboard was like walking the plank and waiting to be pushed over the edge. I'll be glad when we can leave Mavaro."

"Well, we won't be here that long, will we?"

"Long enough." Jim took a last swallow of the brandy and looked sadly at the empty glass. He knew better than to ask for a second drink - not if he wanted to be awake tonight at the dinner. "The Federation sent a private communiqué today. They want us here until Ambassador McCale has the King's signature on the shipping rights agreement. And, the Ambassador won't be here for another two days at least. He's coming via one of the shipping barges so that the King can see what we have to offer his planet."

"Oh . . . well, since we're going to be here that long, some of the staff in Sickbay were wondering about shore leave. . ."

"Not you too, Bones!"

"Well, I've heard there are some excellent casino's down planet, a variety of entertainment including that fun park, dancing . . ."

Rubbing his forehead, trying to ease out the last vestiges of the annoying ache behind his eyes, Jim sighed. "You and every other member of the crew. If I had my way, everyone would stay aboard ship. All I need is a bunch of hotshot crew getting drunk; losing their credits and stumbling back to the ship. Or worse having to claim some of the crew from their prison system. However, in a spirit of good will, Ambassador McCale has insisted I allow shore leave for everyone on board. So, you can tell your staff they can be among the first."

"Thanks! I'm sure they'll appreciate it. Maybe I'll take a run down there myself."

Jim made a be-my-guest gesture and went to pull his dress uniform out of the closet. "Is there any hope you'll be joining the rest of the officers and myself at the dinner for King Hescate tonight?"

McCoy shuddered and took a reflective sip of the brandy. "Changes of that happening are as good as a fireball in a Titan winter. I'm a doctor, not a diplomat."

"Wish I didn't have to go . . . I wish . . ."

"What, Jim? Something's been bothering you for days and I know it's not this crazy King and jumping hoops for the diplomats. You've seem distracted and . . . oh, I don't know . . .down in the mouth?"

Smiling, Jim turned to look at his friend and shook his head in sudden understanding. "You didn't just happen to hear me call up to Sickbay. You've been planning on this little impromptu exam for awhile haven't you?"

McCoy shrugged his shoulders but didn't agree or deny the statement.

"There is something bothering me. It's Jamie. She's not fitting in as well as I'd hoped." Jim spilled the burden he'd been trying to suppress ever since leaving Starbase 39 where he'd picked up a very reluctant little girl. "She hates being on the ship and resents me for bringing her here."

"It wasn't like you really had a choice, Jim. Not with Winona having to leave for Camaroon's Folly. That's no place for a child."

"I know . . . "

Until a few months ago, Jamie had been living quite happily in Iowa with Jim's mother. The two got along famously and had bonded from the second he'd had to leave Jamie at the age of two. He'd been both glad and somewhat guilty that his mother had put her life on hold to raise his daughter. Winona had left a rising career as a historian and planetary archeologist to stay grounded on Earth. Although she often said she didn't mind, Jim worried that he was keeping her away from the world she loved best. Every time he mentioned making some other arrangements, his mother would list her accomplishments - teaching at the Academy, writing scholarly papers, presenting papers to various academia – all while raising Jamie. From time to time she would express a wish that Jim and Jamie could get to know one another better. Or she'd send him a long Skymail about something Jamie had done and conclude with regrets that he was missing so much of her life.

Almost since Jamie's birth, he and a dozen others had been trying to get Starfleet to see the wisdom of allowing children to travel in space with their families. There'd been numerous studies to test the plausibility of the idea. A few test studies, a few children allowed into space on the _Excalibur_ and then almost overnight, the Federation gave their approval. A sudden boost in enlistment's proved that one obstacle to people joining Starfleet had been leaving their children behind. It had been the push Jim needed to bring Jamie aboard and back into his life.

"I worried about taking Jamie away from Mother," he said. "But then Mother told me she'd been asked to do the excavations on Camaroon's Folly . . . and it all seemed to work out."

Camaroon's Folly was an ancient planet that everyone believed held important clues to life in the G Quadrant of space. Winona Kirk had been instrumental in deciphering an early stone years before Jamie's birth that led to excavations which improved life all over the universe. Now, archaeologists had discovered another underground city, which proved to hold clues to vast stores of healing and scientific discoveries. The Federation had sent a personal invitation to Winona, asking for her help.

"If I know Winona, she couldn't wait to get her hands grubby."

"She misses Jamie, she said in her last Skymail. She hoped we were getting along well."

McCoy stared through the brandy in the glass and spoke in a voice meant to be confided in. "And you aren't? I thought you were trying to have her join you for dinner every few days . . ."

"It's not working." Jim jerked off his everyday tunic and tossed it into the clothes freshener. "She barely speaks to me. Most of her answers are one word . . . how did your day go, Jamie? Okay. Did you learn anything in your learning cycle? Yes. Would you like to walk around the ship? No."

"Maybe it's going to take her a little longer to feel comfortable with you, Jim. You've seen her what – like four times since you left her on Earth. Give her a little time."

"Five . . . I saw her five times since Diana . . ." It never got easier to say her name or to remember . . . "since we lost Diana."

McCoy could sympathize. He'd been there when Jim's young wife, Diana, vanished in a Romulan riot. He'd watched and hoped and pulled Jim back from the edge when all their efforts to find her had been in vain. When Starfleet demanded they stop the search and Jim refused, it had been McCoy who pulled some strings to extend the recovery efforts. Eventually, there had been nothing to do but admit defeat and leave. When Jim in his bitterness and grief wanted to toss it all away, to turn the _Enterprise_ over to Spock and stay behind in the seething turmoil of a planetary overthrow, it had been McCoy who talked him out of it. Who reminded him he still had someone to live for – Jamie.

"Then Jamie's going to need a little more time to get to know you." McCoy advised. "Just be patient with her . . ."

"I'm trying, Bones, although not very well. Did you hear what happened today?"

McCoy shook his head.

"I was taking Hescate on a tour of the rec decks and Jamie came running up to me." A brief smile flickered on his face remembering. "It was almost like . . . when I'd visit her on Earth. Those first few times, she'd come running up to me and throw her arms around my neck. Today, when I saw her running toward me I hoped maybe . . . maybe she'd decided to like me again. Then . . ."

He told the story of the Elusian peach and being afraid she'd hurt herself some how. McCoy laughed. "Remember at the Academy – how the plebes always tried to ruin someone's uniform with those peaches."

Jim nodded, grinning with remembrance and then sobered. "When I realized she wasn't hurt, that Hescate was making grumbling noises and she'd broken away from the other students, I'm ashamed to say I got angry and sent her back to the teacher. She looked so . . ." even thinking about those blue eyes staring at him felt like a knife through his heart. Swallowing hard, he finished, "She looked so hurt. It was the first time since she's been on board that she's actually sought me out. She wanted to ask me something but I cut her off . . ."

"Then go make it right. She's your kid!"

"Easier said than done. She's probably mad enough to spit now. I sent orders to deny her rec cycle."

"Why? Are you punishing her? For what? So the kid got out of line . . . Seems to me that if the kids on ship weren't marched to and fro like prisoners, this kind of unexpected encounter wouldn't happen . . ."

Jim sighed and ran a hand through his sandy hair, standing it on end. "Bones, I don't need another lecture on how we're handling the children. Until the new deck is finished, this is the way it is. It's bad enough we have to do most of it in space. Jamie has to learn to obey the rules."

There hadn't been time to have the whole new children's deck finished before the _Enterprise_ had to quell a small uprising between the Taurans and the Encylos. Most of the parents had already been summoned for duty when it became apparent the children would have to brought on board even without the completed deck. While most of it was done, the interior was quietly being finished by a group of space carpenters, painters and other added bodies onboard. Minor skirmishes were constantly taking place between the Enterprise crewmembers and the non-space personell. "I'll be glad when we reach Starbase 25 and can dump them all off to wait for transport back to Earth."

"Still . . ." McCoy had found this a sticky point but insisted on mentioning it at every opportunity. "The whole point of having children in space is having them interact with the crew. Like those old Earther customs – Bring a Kid to Work Day."

As he had several times before, right or wrong, Jim stood firm on his decision. "I'm all for that, Bones, as soon as the children's deck is finished. We can program the places they're allowed and where they aren't. Until then, all we need is for some little girl to wander into Sickbay, the ship hits some type of turbulence and she's shot full of Metzaprine. Or what if one of the boys wanders into Engineering and gets too close to those mega-watt exchangers? I'm sure no one wants to see his or her son fry. Until their deck is finished, the only way to keep them all-safe is to keep them together and have them supervised. After things settle down, we can work out all the knots."

"Well, Captain," It was a sign of his annoyance that he didn't call him Jim and Jim knew it. McCoy's thoughts on having the children aboard were often loud and granite. "I'll leave you to get dressed for your dinner. With one last thought . . . why don't you go say something to Jamie now? She and the nanny are in their quarters, I noticed as I went past. Maybe you can do a little damage control."

Not wanting McCoy to leave with bad feelings between them, Jim agreed. "You're right." He reached for a clean tunic and slipped it over his head, already feeling years younger. "I've got an hour or so before I have to dress. Maybe I'll take Jamie to the rec room . . ."

The insistent whistle that signaled an incoming call interrupted.

"Kirk here."

"Captain," Uhura's voice came over the com. "We have word from King Hescate that he's decided he'd rather dine on the planet tonight."

Jim grinned; already thinking of the freedom this would give him to spend time with Jamie.

"He's asked that you and the other officers come early. His chefs are planning a royal welcome."

Jim uttered a word he'd rather not be repeated.

"Excuse me, Captain. I didn't quite get your reply."

"Never mind, Uhura. Tell him I'll be there. Inform the other officers."

"Yes, sir."

At the door McCoy raised an eyebrow – ala' Spock – and sympathized. "That's too bad, Jim. Why don't I take Jamie to the rec room for awhile – let her program in a holo? I'll put in a good word for you."

"Would you, Bones? I thought you wanted shore leave?"

"Not tonight . . . maybe tomorrow. Enjoy your dinner."

"Ha ha ha . . ." With a sigh, Jim turned back and went on reluctant feet to fetch his dress uniform and turn on the shower. _I hope McCoy's good word helps me out, because Jamie and I are still light years apart._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Why?" Jamie moved a piece of her puzzle and stared up at Dr. McCoy. She'd been right in the middle of building a 500 piece picture of the moons of Xenobia when Nanny Banks said she had a visitor. To her surprise, the visitor turned out to be the doctor all smiling and saying he would take her to the Holo Room for awhile. "The Captain . . . um . . . Daddy said I couldn't go today."

"Well, he's changed his mind." Dr. McCoy leaned over and moved a pinkish piece of the moon named Citar into place. "He wanted to take you himself, but he's having dinner with King Hescate."

Jamie stared at the puzzle thinking. Grown ups are so weird. "I don't know if I want to go now," she answered and it was the truth. There were only a few pieces of the puzzle left and since it was an Orion puzzle, as soon as she solved it, the pieces would sing out a clue. When Jamie had all the clues in the puzzle series, she could claim a prize. There was the cutest little stuffed Tribble with pink ribbons in it's hair that she really, really wanted on the prize list. If she didn't go to the Holo Room tonight, she could probably finish. Then she'd only need to do three more puzzles and get the clues to win the Tribble. "I think I want to finish my puzzle."

Nanny Banks did not like that idea. "Don't be silly, Jamie! Dr. McCoy is being very nice to take you now. A little while ago you were pouting because you couldn't go. You can finish your puzzle anytime."

"But . . ."

It didn't matter how much Jamie protested.

Nanny practically pulled her up and pushed her toward the closet. "Go get your play shoes and don't keep the doctor waiting."

"Well, if she doesn't want to go . . ."Dr. McCoy tried to help out. "We can go another time."

"Nonsense!" Nanny Banks flushed and scrambled around the shoe shelf trying to find Jamie's blue soft shoes. "Jamie needs a little exercise. She's been cooped up in her quarters all afternoon. You'd love to go, wouldn't you, Jamie?"

_No. _ "I 'spose."Since there didn't seem to be a choice, Jamie sighed and pulled on her play shoes. After that, Nanny practically shoved them out the door and waved goodbye. The door to Jamie's quarters swooshed closed.

"Wonder what she was in such an all fired hurry about?" Dr. McCoy grumbled. "Is she always that eager to get rid of you?"

If she wanted, Jamie could probably tell the doctor how Nanny sometimes left her alone at night to go visit Varoom. Dr. McCoy had always been nice to Jamie since she'd come on board. He was never too busy to stop and talk – unlike _some_ people – and he didn't ask silly questions. Sometimes he even gave Jamie a piece of candy just because. She thought maybe he did that with all the children onboard, but when she asked Baxter, he said no. So Dr. McCoy would probably care that Nanny wasn't always there when Jamie woke up scared in the night. He'd tell the Captain for sure. That would sure put Nanny on report or sent back to her planet. But, then the Captain . . . um . . . Daddy might get someone else just as bad to take care of her. _I better not say anything._ "She probably wants to visit her boyfriend."

"Who's that?"

"Varoom," Jamie answered. "He's a shuttlepilot."

Dr. McCoy chuckled. "Well, guess the jokes on her tonight. The Captain and some of the other officers are taking the shuttle down to the planet. The King changed his mind about having dinner aboard the Enterprise."

For some reason, this cheered Jamie up a whole lot. Maybe Nanny Banks would hurry to visit Varoom and run straight into the Captain. He might even bark an order at her or ask her why she was on the shuttle deck. Yes, Jamie felt like smiling from ear to ear. Suddenly today didn't seem so awful.

"Can I pick my own holo, Dr. McCoy?"

"Certainly."

Jamie kept smiling.

########

Carolyn Bass fidgeted until the door closed and the Captain's brat was out of her sight. _Finally_! With one eye on the chronometer, (?) she tried to figure out how long she could expect to be free.

Carolyn hurried out of her uniform and into a satin pantsuit combo. Pulling her blonde hair out of the regulation bun, she let it settle across her shoulders in a silky wave. If she hurried, there would be time for a nice visit with Varoom. It would be the only bright spot in a rather dull day. Makeup - but not too much to achieve the natural look -and a spritz of cologne and she was on her way.

To Carolyn's surprise, the shuttle deck was a beehive of activity. Instead of the quiet, between trip lull she found several techs and crewmembers scurrying around as if preparing to take the shuttle away from the ship. She found Varoom in the pilot seat of the shuttle checking over the instruments and preparing for flight.

"Hi! What's up?"

He turned with a wrinkle of annoyance on his olive skinned brow. Seeing her, his Venusians' purplish eyes lit up and he smiled. "Caro! Don't you look as pretty as a Venus sunset?"

"Are you taking the shuttle out?"

"Yeah, change of plans," he said running strong hands over the instrument panel checking she knew not what. Lights and switches clicked green and the shuttle hummed in readiness. "Instead of the King beaming aboard for dinner, the Captain's taking the shuttle down to the planet."

Carolyn made a moue of displeasure. There went her plans for a nice visit. "I was hoping we could spend some time together. It seems you either have to work or I've got to drag the Captain's daughter around."

"Sorry, Caro." He shrugged but not with any real displeasure.

"Will you get shore leave anytime soon? Maybe I can put in a request to have the same time."

Another shrug. "Probably I'll have to take my shore leave in between ferrying others to the planet. An hour here or there. Best not to plan on spending time with me on Mavaro."

He didn't sound too disappointed. Not as disappointed as Carolyn felt. "We never have time together." When he didn't respond, busy with his checklist, she whined, "I've been saving my credits so we could have an elegant dinner at the fanciest place on the planet. There's a restaurant called The Green Pelican."

"Woowee! That's a pricey place."

"What else have I got to spend my credits on?" Carolyn couldn't hide her displeasure. "It's not like I get time to do anything dragging that kid around everywhere."

"You're the one who signed on Starfleet as a nanny," he said without any real sympathy. "You've got quarters on the Officer's deck - pretty cushy digs if you ask me. You eat real food most of the time in the Officer's galley. Lotsa perks to that job."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be . . ." Carolyn started to complain when another crewman stuck his head in the shuttle door.

"Hey, Voom voom," he called using Varoom's nickname. Seeing Carolyn he gave a rather rude whistle and a cheeky wink. "When you can pull yourself away, we need to run the check through. Captain's on his way down."

"Sorry, Caro," he brushed her off. "I've got to get back to work. See you later."

"Yeah, see you later," she answered but his attention was already back to his panel of lights and switches. So much for a romantic evening.

#########

McCoy sat on a bench under a budding apple tree and breathed in the scents of an Iowa farm. Some rather unpleasant scents! You had to give credit to the intelligence capable of creating such realistic holograms that even the manure seemed real.

Although Jamie had seemed a bit surprised when he asked to share her Holo, she didn't refuse. As he'd known she would, Jamie chose to program the room into the farm where she'd lived. As chief medical officer aboard the ship, almost everything came under his control. He regularly checked the children and what they programmed into the holo rooms. While most chose adventures - living on a pirate ship, visiting a zoo or an uncharted planet - Jamie's choice never varied. He'd unofficially diagnosed Jamie with a serious case of homesickness. The farm holo was her solace.

"I'll just sit somewhere and enjoy the breeze," he'd told her when they entered the room. "You go enjoy yourself."

"There's a bench under the apple tree," Jamie said and pointed out the direction.

"Grandpa put it there for ..."

"For your Grandmother on their anniversary," he finished.

Jamie's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I've been here before - many times."

"You have?"

McCoy smiled at her surprise. "I've known your father and his family for a long time. In fact, I've spent lots of time on the farm."

She seemed to think that over, tilting her head and studying him intently. "I'm gonna climb a tree," she announced and ran across the grass to a small woods. When she got there, she turned and waved.

That was the last McCoy saw of her for awhile. He relaxed against the back of the bench, tilted his face to the sun and closed his eyes. _Ah, this was the life . . _.

"Dr. McCoy? Are you asleep?"

Jamie's question woke him a bit later. He opened one eye, saw her staring in concern and slowly came back to consciousness.

"Probably. Did you have a good climb?"

"Yes, I'm tired."

"Are you ready to leave?"

Jamie shook her head. "Could we please just sit here until the stars come out?"

Holo rooms were programmed to follow a natural rhythm of time. You could come into one at dawn and stay throughout a whole daily cycle. McCoy had programmed Jamie's to take place in late afternoon. The sun had shifted into setting and parts of the woods were already purple with dusk. Night birds and insects sang a sleepy song. Parts of the sky were already deepening with shades of orange, pink and gold. It wouldn't be long until the stars came out.

"Sure, why not." He patted the bench beside him and Jamie hopped up to join him.

"You going to wish on that star?"

A shrug answered.

McCoy waited until the shadows deepened and promised a sense of confident sharing. "So Jamie, how do you like life on the Enterprise so far?"

At first he didn't think she planned to answer, then politeness won out. Winona had always insisted on manners and civility. It showed in how she'd raised Jim and Jamie. "It's kind of different. . . not like home."

He waited a few minutes to not seem too probing with his questions. "I guess it's a little hard getting to know your father again. It's been awhile since he's been on Earth. When was the last time you saw him? Before you came onboard?" When Jamie didn't answer right away, he said conversationally, "You know, Jamie, there's a rule." He glanced sideways to see if he had her attention. He did. "It's called doctor/patient confidentiality. Do you know what that means?"

"Um . . . not really."

"Then I'll explain it to you. It means that anything you say to me, I can't tell anyone else. Not ever. So if you're ever worried about anything . . . or upset . . . or you want to tell someone something you can't tell anyone else . . . you can say it to me and it's like wishing on a star. Nobody will ever hear."

It took her a few minutes to mull over this idea. Like her father, McCoy could almost feel her mind working on what to divulge. Her question surprised him. "Are you boss of everybody, even the Captain?"

"Pretty much."

"Then how come _he_ thinks he's boss of the ship?"

McCoy leaned over and whispered, "Because he's wearing the Captain's stripes. He doesn't know the Chief Medical Officer is the top man on the ship. Promise you'll keep the secret?"

Jamie giggled and clapped a hand over her mouth. It sounded like music to his ears and he realized it was almost the first time he'd heard her laugh out loud since coming aboard. It reminded him a lot of her mother. As if deciding she could trust him, Jamie sighed wistfully and said, "When I was eight, he came to Earth for my birthday."

The dusk had deepened enough so that McCoy had to strain to see the slight smile on her face. He hoped she would open up more. Keeping his voice matter of fact, he yawned and asked, "Did you have a good time?"

Jamie's face was transformed and she smiled - a genuine grin so like Jim's it startled him. "We had the best time. Daddy taught me to play this funny game. It wasn't a real game though. It was this silly game he made up called Fizzbin." Jamie laughed out loud. It was the first time he'd seen her this animated. "He kept changing the rules and Gramma got so mad."

McCoy laughed with her.

"We climbed trees too. Daddy can climb trees real good. He said when he was a little boy, he liked to climb in the trees and pretend he was sitting in the stars. One night we slept outside in a tent and we watched until the stars came out . . ."

"It sounds like a good visit." He answered, hoping she'd share more but she went quiet. Looked like his work was cut out for him. "Have you played Fizzbin since you've come aboard?"

Jamie shook her head hard. "He don't want to play anything now." Quietly so he almost couldn't hear she confessed. "All he does now is bark at people and worry about being quiet. I don't know why he wants children on the ship anyway. He's not like a Daddy on the Enterprise. He likes this old ship better'n he likes me."

So as not to seem too nosy, he asked quietly, "I thought he was joining you for dinner every little bit and taking you around the ship. Don't you enjoy spending time with him?"

No answer just a shrug he could barely see in the evening shadows. McCoy spoke gently, remembering his promise to put in a good word for Jim. "Your father loves you, Jamie. He's worked a long time on the Children in Space program so he could have you with him. He certainly cares more for you than he does the _Enterprise_. Right now he's worried that things aren't going right, he's got a lot on his mind - getting the children's deck finished, having to work with King Hescate . . ."

Jamie sneered and spoke up vehemently. "That old King's a meanie! I don't think I like his planet either . . . even if he does have a fun park on it."

"Speaking of fun parks," McCoy said, "maybe Jim can take you down there while we're here."

"He probably won't," Jamie said mournfully. "I don't care. Dr. McCoy, can I ask you something?"

He understood she wanted to change the subject. "Sure."

"How come you're so nice to me? Baxter says you never give him candy."

"Well, now, I guess you're special to me. I've known you a long time."

That puzzled her and he heard the question in her voice. "But me and Baxter came on the ship at the same time."

"Well, Jamie, I just met Baxter but I've known you from the first second you were born. In fact, this ugly mug," he pointed at his face, not sure she could see him in the dark, "is the first face you ever saw."

"Huh?"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you were born on the _Enterprise_, Jamie?"

"No. I didn't know that."

McCoy smiled. Suddenly he realized Jamie must not remember him at all and why should she? Jamie had no way of knowing he'd delivered her or that she'd lived on the _Enterprise _long before she'd ever seen Earth. She was only about two the last time he'd actually seen her "Well, you were and you lived on board for the first few years of your life. Don't you remember me? You used to call me BoBo."

She laughed again. "That's a silly name. Why did I call you that?"

"Probably because Jim calls me Bones." He laughed too. "You were a pretty cute little kid. Everyone was sad when you left to go live with Winona. Jim most of all. He used to say to me, 'we should have taken the long way home, Bones.'"

Even now McCoy got an ache remembering his friend's anguish at having to leave Jamie on Earth.

"What's that mean?"

McCoy shifted on the bench, feeling the chill of evening beginning to settle in. "He knew that after your mother . . ." No, I don't want to explain that business to her, "well, after Jim knew he had to take you back to Earth, he wanted the ship to go as slow as it could. He didn't want to give you up but back then, Starfleet was pretty set against having children in space."

"Oh. Did you know my mother too?"

"Yes, I knew her very well."

"What was she like? Gramma never knew her and she tells me to ask Daddy but . . ."

He could hear the unspoken words she wanted to say. Jamie didn't feel comfortable yet with Jim - not enough to talk to him about Diana. For the first time he wished he hadn't brought Jamie into the holo. How much should he tell her? If Winona and Jim had never explained what happened to Diana, how much could he reveal? It didn't feel like his place. "Maybe we should go on and start back to your quarters," he made a move to get up, his bones creaking stiffly. "I'm sure it's long past your sleep cycle."

"You promised! You said we could wait for the first star!" Jamie protested.

"That's right, I did."

"Why doesn't anybody want to talk about my mother? I asked him . . . daddy once and he said it made him too sad to talk about her. What happened to her?"

Sighing McCoy fumbled for comforting words. As a doctor he'd gotten a lot of practice pulling them out of a hat. I'm a doctor, not a magician, he'd quipped on plenty of occasions. Ignoring her question, he went back to an earlier one. "Your mother was a very beautiful, very gifted woman. Everyone who saw her fell in love with her. She had a way of making everyone feel special and she loved you very much."

"Did she die?"

"Jamie, you need to talk to your father about this." He felt like he'd spoken a little too crotchety-country-doctor but he had to do something to stop the flow of questions. Sadly, he realized he'd stopped Jamie's confidences by being so brusque. In the glint of moonlight, he saw her eyes fill with tears. "Listen, honey, there are things only Jim should tell you. You ask him and I'm sure he'll tell you everything you want to know." When she didn't respond, he looked to the sky and saw the first star. "There's your wishing star."

Instead of looking up, Jamie got off the bench and began to walk toward the halo exit. "Could we leave, Dr. McCoy? I think I'm tired."

"Sure, but aren't you going to make a wish?"

"Wishes don't come true," she mumbled, "everybody knows that."

He followed her wondering what wish Jamie had made that didn't come true. Then he knew - she wanted to go home. His heart ached for the little girl and for Jim. Maybe we should have taken the long way home so the two had never been separated.

#######

"Captain?"

"Yes, Ensign?"

Varoom nervously cleared his throat and hoped he didn't sound like a weak-kneed Andorian goat. "Request permission to go on shore leave until you're ready to return to the _Enterprise_, sir?"

"Very well," the Captain agreed following Mr. Spock through the shuttle doors. "Just stay within communicator range so you're available when we're ready to return."

"Thank you, sir."

"And Ensign?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I won't dictate what you can do on your shore leave, but let me leave you with a warning. Mavaro prisons are no joke. This planet's laws and penalties are stiff - too stiff for even Starfleet to cover if you get up to your neck in trouble. Wherever you go and whatever you do, conduct yourself like a civilized representative of the Federation."

"Always, sir." Varoom saluted and repressed a grin. To his chagrin, Mr. Spock raised one distinctive eyebrow and stared as if he knew what Varoom was thinking. So there would be no mistake, Varoom stated firmly, "I intend to visit the gaming tables."

"Very well, just stay within communicator range." The Captain said as he left, trailed by the rest of the Officer's. A royal welcoming committee, horns blaring, flags flying met the group as they exited the shuttle.

Varoom waited until all the pomp and circumstances had cleared away before locking down the shuttle and hurrying away. He had credits to burn in the brown velour pockets of his uniform and an unquenchable belief that tonight he'd win big!

Less than an hour later, Varoom was in trouble - deep space without oxygen trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jamie lay in bed fingering the quilt Gramma had packed for her to bring. It was an Amish quilt made up of square patches that were called, "Pathway to the Stars." The stars were yellow triangles on bright blue pieces. A long time ago, Jamie remembered going with Gramma to see the people called Amish and how strangely they lived – without computers or starships or even communicators.

"They don't like anything modern," Gramma said, "so they live the way their ancestors lived thousands of years ago."

While Jamie had enjoyed petting all the animals and talking to some of the little girls dressed strangely in long purple dresses and black aprons, wearing little white bonnets on their heads, she'd been glad to get back home. Gramma's farm wasn't as modern as the Enterprise, but Jamie knew she could never live without having a communicator. She wished someone would invent one that worked far, far out in space.

"I'd call Gramma and tell her to take me home."

But Jamie knew that communicators could only be used so far. Just like Galaxy Greetings or Sky mail. When the _Enterprise_ was way, way, way out in the far corners of the galaxy, it was impossible to talk to anyone. Maybe if someone had invented a way to communicate with people in space, Jamie thought, she wouldn't feel so afraid of being with Daddy right now.

A couple of warm tears leaked out the corners of her eyes and dripped into her ears. Jamie sniffed and swiped the back of her hand across her nose. She tried to think happy thoughts – like being in the Holo Room with Dr. McCoy, but her mind kept thinking unhappy thoughts. _It would be nice if Dr. McCoy was my daddy. He likes to talk to me and he gives plenty of hugs._

Remembering what Gramma had said that last night, Jamie let more tears dribble down her cheeks. Jamie hadn't wanted to come live on the _Enterprise,_ even if they did allow children in space. But Gramma hugged her tight and said, "Just give your daddy a chance to love you, Jamie. He's got years and years of hugs and kisses all stored up to give you. It will all work out, I promise."

So far Jamie hadn't seen many of those hugs and kisses Daddy had stored up. Sure, when she first came aboard he'd grabbed her up and squeezed her in a big hug. He'd even kissed both her cheeks and smiled a lot. It was almost like the time he came to Earth and they had such a good time. But then right away Daddy said, "This is Nanny Banks . . ." and disappeared to his bridge or some other mysterious place on the ship. Jamie sometimes wondered what the Captain did on a starship - not that she would ask him. He was always rushing somewhere or barking an order at someone. Every time Jamie sat at the Captain's table or Daddy had her to dinner in his quarters, there was an interruption. Someone would buzz on the Com and he _had _to take it. Or something else would happen . . . it was always something.

_I wish he could be a little bit more like Gramma_.

Jamie thought about how every night Gramma came in to say goodnight. They'd talk for a few minutes about the day. This was usually the time when Jamie could confess she'd done something naughty - like broken a window or not done her homework. Gramma would always remind her what she needed to do to 'fix' her mistake. Or she might get a little stern and scold - but Jamie always figured she deserved it. Right before bed was a special time too when Jamie could ask questions that bothered her - except about Mama. Gramma never seemed to want to talk about her. "Someday your daddy can explain all that," Gramma said.

Sighing, Jamie rolled over on her side and stared at the room. Nothing was the same as home and there were strange sounds - like humming. Baxter said it was the sound the warp drive made. Staring into the dark, except for a night light shaped like a star, Jamie remembered that last goodnight talk with Gramma - the night she said Jamie had to go live on the _Enterprise. _It was not a good memory. _I cried and cried and told her I didn't want to leave._ Gramma had cried plenty too, but she promised everything would be all right with Daddy. Daddy, Gramma said, wanted her to come more than anything in the world.

"You just give him a chance," Gramma had reminded her before saying goodbye. "He loves you more than anything."

Not more than the_ Enterprise. _Jamie whispered the words in the dark. If there was one thing Daddy loved, it was his ship. _He doesn't really want me here. _Jamie thought about the wish she would have made on the star in the Holo Room. _I wish Daddy would come to kiss me goodnight and talk to me. Just sometimes._

Jamie rubbed harder and harder at the silky edge to the quilt. Her throat ached from holding back big, loud cries that would bring nosy Nanny Banks wanting to know what was wrong. Tomorrow, she decided, I will finish three more Orion puzzles so I can get my stuffed Tribble. It will be my friend to hold in the dark and I won't be so lonely.

Gramma said when me and Daddy were back together, we would keep each other from being lonely. I guess Gramma can be wrong like anybody else.

####################

Jim hid a yawn behind his hand and tried to stare unobtrusively at the ornate clock on the wall behind King Hescate's head. _Late. Probably too late to get back to the ship and give Jamie a good night kiss. _ He sighed at failing again to end his day by making his daughter a priority. Ever since Jamie had come aboard, he'd had good intentions. He'd planned to be as attentive as possible to the little girl - to spend quality time with her each day. Too bad he'd failed miserably at making her feel welcome. The guilt had come to feel as weighted as an old style space suit he'd tried in a museum.

_I wonder how Bones made out by getting her to open up._

"Isn't that correct, Captain Kirk?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Jim sat up straighter and focused on the King. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question." _Or most of your rather boring, pompous soliloquy._

King Hescate did not look amused. His brows drew together in annoyance and he sighed a deep, why-me-groan. "Perhaps we are boring you, Captain Kirk?"

"Not at all."

"I asked how long before this Ambassador McCale will be in arriving." The king reached out to take a pear from a bowl of fruit passed by his rather faded, timid wife. Her royal robes dwarfed the pasty yellow woman and the sparkling tiara on her head appeared too heavy to be comfortable. "The Romulan representative has been most attentive lately. He's shown me their shipping vessels and given me a chart of their rates. .."As the king droned on, Jim sat Academy ramrod-cadet-straight and focused his attention. Although he despised the diplomacy sometimes required of being a starship Captain, he'd come to recognize the various ploys used when the Federation might be in a losing battle. Gaining the shipping rights to Mavaro would be a feat worthy of a medal - or a promotion. Not that Jim wanted a promotion, thank you very much. But he knew Ambassador McCale well enough to know the man believed in steadily climbing the ladder of success. If he arrived and Jim had let this golden opportunity slip away . . . If Mavaro shipping - of which there was enough to accumulate a wealth of profits - went to the Romulan's there'd be heads rolling. Jim didn't intend for one to be his, if there was any way to prevent it.

"Excuse me, King Hescate," Jim squared his shoulders and prepared to do a little psychological battle. "Doesn't it seem to you as if you should see what the Federation has to offer before you make a decision. Our shipping is well- known throughout the galaxy, reliable and cost effective . . ."

Hours later, head aching, he yawned and exited the _Explorer_ with Spock, Scotty and several other officers behind him.

"Thank you all for attending a rather boring dinner. Let's just hope King Hescate was duly impressed and ripe for the picking when Ambassador McCale arrives."

Trust Spock to put things in perspective. "You have done everything you can, Captain. Starfleet cannot demand more."

Everyone crowded into the turbo lift.

"Officer's Deck." Jim yawned again. "Thanks, Spock. See you in the morning."

With various soft, "good night, Captain" following him, Jim stopped outside Jamie's quarters. Using hand recognition, surely even Nanny Banks was asleep this late, he let himself quietly into his daughter's room. As he'd expected, she was sound asleep, her fingers clenched tight around the quilt binding.

Leaning over, he kissed her gently on the cheek. To his dismay, he tasted the salt of tears.

"I'm sorry, Jamie. I don't suppose I'll ever win a Father of the Year award."

He stood watching her sleep for awhile and then quietly let himself out.

In his quarters, Bones had left a written note. _A wise philosopher once said, all children need is to know they are loved. Jamie has questions, talk to her._

_Just what I needed to hear - more weight to my hairshirt of guilt._

Although he was weary almost to the bone from the day, it took him a long time to fall into a fitful sleep.

################################

"Nanny Banks," Jamie stirred the yucky imitation oatmeal around her bowl and hoped she sounded like she might be coming down with something catching. She managed a weak, fake cough. "I don't think I feel too good."

"Oh?" Nanny felt Jamie's forehead and bent over to peer closer at her eyes. "Stick out your tongue."

Jamie did.

"You look fine to me, but we can stop by Sickbay on the way to your learning cycle."

"Um . . ." Jamie thought about that for a minute. While a visit to Sickbay might put her into the hands of one of the other two doctors onboard ship, it wasn't likely that Dr. McCoy would just ignore her. She might be able to fool Dr. Harris or Dr. Christine into thinking she didn't feel good, but Dr. McCoy wouldn't be fooled one bit. He'd know right away she was pretending to be sick so she didn't have to go to learning cycle. Then he'd probably want to know why.

The more she thought about it, the more Jamie realized that and Gramma were a lot alike. He would keep asking questions, trying to figure out why she didn't want to go. Jamie knew it wouldn't be long until he made her tell the whole story about Centauri wanting her to ask Daddy about going to Disney Mavaroon._ And if I tell him . . . sooner or later Centauri would know I tattled_. Jamie had enough experience with bullies to know they didn't like to be tattled on. No, going to Sickbay would not end good.

Jamie sighed. "I guess I feel okay."

Nanny Banks just shrugged and went on sending Varoom a long comchat text. Every morning she did the same thing while Jamie ate first meal_. Breakfast. It's breakfast on Earth and that's what I'm gonna call it_. Not any of these silly _Starfleet_ names. For just a minute Jamie felt better until she remembered why she wanted to be sick. Now her stomach did feel all swirly and the oatmeal tossed like waves.

Centauri would be in learning cycle. Probably she would want to know what Daddy said about going to down planet. So Jamie would have to say that he hadn't said anything. Then Centauri would keep on until Jamie _had_ to ask . . .and I don't want to.

But if I don't . . . Jamie had remembered as she got dressed this morning why one of the little girls cried when she saw Centauri. Having someone smear nasty Klingon garbutter in your hair until it had to be cut out could do that to a person. Jamie had wanted to tell Miz Balderdasian but she knew she couldn't. That would make Centauri act worse, like Liza.

Jamie sighed. Once on Earth, she'd gone to an international school where a lot of the children had fathers or mothers from Starfleet. Gramma had to be in San Francisco for a year and they'd lived in an apartment. At first Jamie liked the school, until another girl named Liza began to taunt her. It was all because Daddy was a starship Captain.

"Hey, there Kirk," Liza would say, sliding up behind Jamie in the hallways. "What's your daddy doing today? Killing anybody else's father?"

Liza's dad had been killed when a mission failed near the Antauri System. A mission where Daddy had been trying to beam everyone aboard. It hadn't been his fault some of the people - like Liza's dad - were not where they were supposed to be. Even Starfleet and most of the media reports said he wasn't to blame. But Gramma had told Jamie that some people who hated the space program were making trouble. In the end, Liza had gotten so bad, slapping Jamie for no reason or putting foul things in her lunch, that Gramma put her in a different school with a different last name. Jamie knew that Centauri could turn into another Liza real fast. Only this time, there wouldn't be anywhere to go to another school or change her name.

"Couldn't I just stay in bed today, Nanny Banks?" Jamie tried one last hope. "Maybe if I just rested?"

"If you feel that badly," she looked up from her message to Varoom, "I'd better call Sickbay. Dr. McCoy let you stay out too long last night. You should have been in sleep cycle earlier. Maybe I'd better tell the Captain. . ."

_"_No! Don't do that! Maybe I'll be okay if I just drink a little milk."

Thankfully, since they were near a planet and could have fresh supplies beamed or shuttled aboard ship, there was real milk. Not the kind from a cow like in Iowa, but purplish pink milk from the Mavaro Goatavo. It tasted pretty good. Jamie finished the glass under Nanny Bank's watchful eyes and even swallowed a nasty vitamin pill that gagged her as it went down.

"Are you sure you're all right? Ava will never forgive me if I let you spread something obnoxious through the rest of the children."

"I think I feel better now," Jamie smiled and tried to act fine.

In the end, Nanny Banks walked her to learning cycle and left her at the door. As usual, she stopped to talk to teacher for a few minutes. They were great friends and had joined Starfleet at the same time. Nanny Banks had told Jamie the story at least four times now.

Although Jamie hoped to stay out of Centauri's sight, she wasn't in learning cycle more than a minute when the older girl came up behind her. The girls' long, pink colored nails dug into Jamie's shoulders. "So, what did the Captain say about us going down planet? You asked him didn't you?"

"I . . .tried."

"So, what did he say."

"Um . ..well, I . . ."

Thankfully, before Jamie could finish teacher came into the room and separated everyone into groups. Jamie made plans to stay as far from Centauri as she could for the rest of the day.

_Maybe I could find a way to ask Daddy about going down planet. Or maybe I could ask Dr. McCoy . . . he might listen and ask Daddy. Centauri might not be mean to me if I do what she wants._

By lunch, Jamie's head ached and her stomach hurt from trying to stay away from the older girl. As they lined up for middle meal, Centauri, with a mean gleam in her green eyes, started moving up in the line. Frantic, Jamie ran back into the classroom.

"Jamie Kirk! What are you doing out of line?"

"I forgot my sweater," She answered teacher.

"Hurry up!" Teacher had turned into who Baxter called the _Ogre of the Enterprise._ He told a really funny story about how every time teacher went outside the doors of the learning cycle she grew into a mean, purple eyed ogre with webbed feet. Usually Jamie laughed, but not today. "Why you children insist on trying to push the rules I will never understand. Once we learn the classroom we are to stay together until we arrive at the eating station. Centauri! Get back in line."

_Ha ha._

Jamie figured Centauri had tried to either follow her or was switching places in line to get nearer. _Probably so she can eat lunch with me and pester me more about going down planet._

"Hurry up, Jamie!" Teacher hissed as two crewmen in green shirts walked by. Turning away from the door, she hurried after the other students all moving in an orderly line down the corridor.

Centauri glanced over her shoulder and gave Jamie a mean, you-can't-get-away glare.

Jamie had no idea what the girl would do when she caught her. _ I could ask Daddy about going to the fun park and he might say yes. Then Centauri would be happy for awhile . . . but then what if she wants something else and Daddy says no? Or what if I ask him about the fun park and he says no? _Jamie knew enough about bullies like Centauri to know they could make your life pretty darn miserable. Jamie figured just living on the darned old _Enterprise_ was misery enough.

Hardly knowing what she was doing, Jamie turned and ran in the opposite direction from the other students. She would find somewhere to hide during middle meal, then go back to the classroom. If teacher put her in the solitary cubicle, that would be good. _I wouldn't have to talk to Centauri_.

It felt strange to walk along the corridors alone. Jamie had never been through the _Enterprise_ without a grown up along. It felt kind of . . . nice being all alone. Better even than the Holo Room because it was real. But then Jamie got worried. Everyone on the ship knew the children's deck wasn't finished and they probably knew children shouldn't be wandering around alone. Jamie felt like a thousand eyes were staring at her, maybe even Daddy looking through one of the hidden recording devices that monitored different parts of the ship. Baxter had pointed one out to her once, cleverly disguised as a Starfleet emblem on the ceiling.

Biting her lip, Jamie had no idea where to go and hide. She could go to her quarters and pretend to be sick. But if Nanny Banks were there, she might insist on going to Sickbay. Although Jamie had a suspicion she could lie to a lot of the people on the ship and get away with it, she knew she probably couldn't fool Dr. McCoy.

If Nanny Banks wasn't in their quarters, it might be okay. But, Jamie didn't have any idea what the nanny did when she was alone. It was too risky. _Where can I go_? Jamie rounded a corner and ran into a bunch of crewmen - jostling and joking as they waited for the turbo lift. Probably getting ready to report for duty. Jamie stepped back around the corridor, trying to hide.

"I saw her come this way," Javik's voice said. "Where you think she went?"

Centauri's whiney voice answered. "I don't know but we'd better find her fast! For all we know she's going to tattle about me putting that teensy little Orion scorpion in her desk. It was just a joke."

Jamie shuddered, glad she hadn't opened her desk and found that ugly creature.

"They aren't poisonous," Javik answered, "just sting a little. But you should know better than to tease the Captain's kid. You beggin' to get tossed off the ship?"

"Oh, puleeeeeeeeeeese like I care." Centauri drew out the word. "Anyway, my mother's job is crucial to the tests the scientists are running when we get to Denali Base. They know the only way to keep her happy is to keep me with her. She was working a civilian job until this stupid Children in Space program opened up and she signed on the _Excalibur_. Where is that little brat?" Centauri muttered some Klingon curse words and ended, " . . . that Captain Kirk."

Jamie slid into a slight nook in the wall. A communicating device on the wall poked her in the back and she realized it was a challenged impairment booth. The Com was low enough to be pressed by anyone with physical disabilities. She thought about hitting the red button for emergencies but thought better of it. Daddy would not like her messing with his ship.

"We better find her soon," Javik said, "Miz B. said to hurry so no one finds out or we won't get a surprise tomorrow."

"Whopdedoo! Probably we get replicated ice cream or a Venuvian nature film. Let's try this way."

Peeking around the nook, Jamie wasn't quick enough to hide when Centauri saw her.

"There she is!"

The teens started walking down the corridor fast, practically running. Jamie turned and rounded the corner by the turbo lift and into another group of crewmen reporting for duty.

One of the men was a Leo dwarf, hardly bigger than her. Jamie stepped closer, like she was part of the group. The turbo lift swooshed open. Jamie hurried into the lift, hiding among the long legs of the normal sized crewmen and women. Peeking through their legs, she saw Centauri and Javik hurrying down the corridor waving their arms.

"Hold the turbo!" Centauri shouted.

Someone laughed and another voice overhead muttered. "Can't squeeze another sardine in this can."

The door whooshed shut as Centauri warned, "Jamie, you come back here!"

Half frightened out of her wits, Jamie followed the crew as the exited the Turbo lift laughing and talking in a jolly mood. Suddenly, she noticed where they were and realized the crew weren't reporting for duty. The lift had left them on the shuttle deck loading dock. They must be going on shore leave.

Jamie's heart pounded and her breath came in little spurts of panic. Trying to keep hidden, just until she could find a way to avoid Centauri and Javik, Jamie followed behind the dwarfen man. No one seemed to notice her. They were too excited to be getting off ship for awhile. Jamie followed them into the _Explorer_, Varoom's shuttle. Yes, there he was at the control's doing a last minute check of something with a data pad. _Maybe I could tell him - something - and he'd call Nanny Banks to come get me._

Thinking about that idea, Jamie knew it wouldn't work. Nanny might come all right, but she'd be madder than a wet hen and rooster glued together. Then she'd have to 'report' to Daddy and . . . no, Jamie did not want that.

"Fasten your belts," Varoom called out, "Lift off in three minutes."

_What can I do? _

Jamie turned and started back off the shuttle. Just before she stepped out onto the loading dock, she saw the two olders coming out of the Turbo Lift. She ducked back into the shuttle before they could see her, saw the cabinets that held science equipment and squeezed inside. It was a tight fit, but Jamie pulled the doors carefully closed. Click! Oops! Did the door just do what I think it did? Jamie tried to push it open, but it was tight. _I'm locked in. Slime devils!_

She was ready to scream when she heard Varoom's shout. "Hey, what are you kids doing down here! No kids on the shuttledeck."

Centauri's voice answered sticky sweet, "We're looking for Jamie Kirk, have you seen her? We followed her down here. We have our teacher's permission."

"She's not here either. No kids allowed. You two scram."

The two olders grumbled but left. Jamie wanted to bang on the door and ask Varoom to let her out, but what if they were waiting? _What will they do to me_? The shuttle deck could be a lonely, echoing place. Daddy had given her a tour one night and seemed surprised when she told him it was scary. _I sure wouldn't want to face Centauri there_. Jamie bit her lip and tried to decide what to do. If someone didn't let her out soon, she'd be going on shore leave - without permission. Before she could decide, Jamie heard the steady hum of the shuttlecraft and then felt it lift off the landing deck.

_Uh, oh . . . I am in big trouble now_.

#############

A few tears slid down Jamie's cheeks as she sat in the cramped, dark equipment cabinet. It seemed to take forever for the shuttle to get to the planet, land and then for all the crew to leave. Jamie thought about waiting until everyone but Varoom had left and then banging on the door. There was nothing else to do. Daddy would be furious probably . . Jamie had seen his temper in action more than a couple of times . . . but it couldn't be helped.

But then to her surprise, she heard Varoom talking to a lady, making plans to join her for something called a cocktail. He sure sounded awful happy and the lady kept giggling. Jamie had been wondering why anyone would want to do something with a bird's tail. She was sure a cock was a kind of bird and it must have a tail. What did you do with a bird's tail? Her mind had been thinking so hard that it took a few minutes to realize there were no sounds coming from the shuttle at all. Everyone had left. Now no one would hear if she banged on the door all day. _I'm scared!_

In a panic, Jamie rammed her fists against the cabinet door as hard as she could and screamed. "Let me out!" Startled, she tumbled headfirst out of the cabinet as the door popped open. Bumping her head against a shuttle seat, her face turned as red as Baxter's hair. Thinking about Baxter reminded her of something he'd told her when they rode the shuttle to the ship. When a shuttle took off, everything locked into place - the cabinet doors, the seats and seat belts, even the head. After it landed and shut down, everything could be opened again.

_Guess I should learn a little more about Daddy's old ship._

Now that she wasn't locked in and afraid, Jamie made a quick trip to the head, got a drink of water and thought about what to do. There was a communicator lying on a seat and she picked it up. Probably the sensible thing to do would be to call the _Enterprise_ and ask to be beamed aboard. That's probably what she should do. _And I would be in soooooooooo much trouble._

Jamie looked out the viewscreen of the shuttle before she decided. The _Explorer _was parked in a huge, flat parking area filled with hundreds of other shuttles, small ships, flitters, even a couple of what Jamie thought were called auto's. There had been a big historical club near the farm where people restored the machines and drove them for fun. So this must be where people who came to visit the planet left their vehicles. Jamie knew that if this was a parking area, then sooner or later a shuttle of some kind would come along to take people where they wanted to go. It had been like that on Earth, so surely it would be like that here. Sure enough, as she watched, a big purple space bus sailed along to stops with little signs. The bus would stop at the sign and people would get on. As the bus passed in front of the shuttles' viewscreen, Jamie ducked a little not to be seen and read the advertisement on the side. There was a picture of a giant roller coaster, a screaming Andorian child and a humanoid boy shouting into a bubble the words, "Disney Mavaroon - The Greatest Adventure in the Galaxy!" The fun park!

It didn't take Jamie a second to decide. She would already be in trouble for leaving the ship and coming to the planet on a shuttle. Probably she would be in trouble for not walking in a straight line and obeying Miz Balderdasian. There were probably a hundred rules she'd broken already and since she was in soooooooooooooo much trouble anyway, maybe it wouldn't matter if she got into more trouble. Maybe it wouldn't matter if she just went to look at the fun park before she used the communicator. Gramma had never taken her to a fun park. She'd said they were a total waste of time and sensibilities. Secretly, Jamie thought it was because Gramma was scared of Klingon's and most fun parks let them in now.

Thanks to Baxter, Jamie knew how to disarm the shuttle's alarm so she could get outside. When she got back to the ship, if Daddy didn't decide to kill her, she would have to let Baxter show her more interesting things about the _Enterprise_. Jamie walked to the nearest pink and blue sign that said "Space Bus Stop." There was a button to press to let someone know she was at _Stop 2788 Donald Duck_. Jamie only waited a few minutes before the giant purple bus slid to a stop, a moving walkway unfolded from the door and rolled her onboard. There were a few other people on the bus - a human family, two Rigelians and an Andorian nursemaid with several small children. Jamie thought the children might be half Vulcan but she didn't want to be rude and stare. They had cute little pointy ears like Mr. Spock.

A mechanical voice came over a speaker as the bus pulled up in front of two sparkling gateways. "You have arrived at Disney Mavaroon - The Greatest Adventure in the Galaxy. Please wait for the stairs to unroll completely before disembarking. Thank you and have a great day." The voice repeated the spiel in several other languages Jamie didn't understand before the door slid open and the stairs unrolled. Jamie was one of the first off.

The other people on the bus hurried through the sparkling gates so Jamie followed them. The gates led to a pathway between flowers and trees, some bushes shaped like creatures Jamie knew like seahorses and elephants and others she could only imagine. Cheerful, happy music played and made Jamie almost want to skip along. In the distance, she could hear shouts, laughter, screams - but not scared screams -more like people having fun screams. Maybe they were riding the whirling ride Javik said was wicked fun. Jamie couldn't wait to go inside and see! Maybe just one ride or two and she would use the communicator . . . The most luscious smells came sailing through the air too - cinnamon and strawberry, Orion cherry fizz and chocolate sprinkled Martian muffins. Jamie remembered she'd missed the middle meal and her stomach rumbled. Although she didn't like trying a lot of off world food, Martian muffins were too yummy to ignore.

The path finally ended at two other gates with people behind glass. Everyone got in line and moved through, talking to the people behind glass. Jamie could tell they were real people behind the glass and not androids or clones. Well, they could be clones - you couldn't always tell. Jamie thought maybe they were telling everyone to have a great day, just like the voice in the purple bus.

Jamie waited for the Andorian nursemaid to move through with the Vulcan children and stepped up to the speaking hole in the glass.

"Planet, please?" The humanoid with pale blue skin asked Jamie.

"Earth?"

"Thank you. More along to Gate 25. Next."

Well that was easy. Probably they just wanted to know how many people came from each planet. Jamie followed the Andorian to Gate 25. This time a guard - who looked fierce and Romulan - took something out of the nursemaid's hand, studied it and handed it back. Jamie got a look at a purple card shaped disk. As the Andorian and the Vulcan children went through a turnstile, the guard held out his hand to Jamie.

"Hello?" She said uncertainly.

"Credits or your membership card."

Jamie didn't understand right away. "I . . . don't have any credits. Well, I mean . . . I have five my daddy sent for my birthday one year but they got left in Iowa in my piggy bank. Gramma said he would probably give me more if I needed to buy anything."

The Romulan looked like he didn't understand. He repeated, "Credits or your membership card."

"I . . . I don't have any."

"Escort!" He hollered.

Before Jamie knew quite what was happening, a robotic guard grabbed her from behind, held her high enough off the ground her feet dangled and swung in the air as he whizzed back down a hidden path near the sparkling path she'd walked on before. This path was hidden behind a tall wooden fence. Jamie could hear the laughing, happy people on one side still walking toward the glass booths.

The robot took her back to the end of a path, dropped her outside a metal gate and slammed the gate shut. In four different languages, the robot shook a metal fist and said, "Entrance to Disney Mavaroon costs 30,000 credits per day. A membership card for repeat visits can be purchased at the cost of 50,000 credits per year. Lifetime membership cards are also available. A discount is made for Mavaro military, royalty and the Rigiliean Polo Team. Trying to gain entrance to the fun park by stealth or theft is a crime punishable by up to two terms of imprisonment in Mavaro's judicial system. One lapse is allowed before this crime of defrauding the good people of Disney Mavaroon is punished. Your one lapse has been noted and recorded." A recording device came out of the robotic head and scanned Jamie's face, body and the tongue sticking out of her mouth. "Leave!"

Jamie didn't know what to think except that you probably had to pay to get in the fun park. Walking away from the robot guard, her face flushed brighter red than the sun. It had been a long time since she paid credits for anything. Gramma always signed for things on a data pad bank. On the _Enterprise _there was a little store, but Jamie had been told just to tell the clerk to charge it to Captain Kirk. _I just forgot about using credits._

She wasn't sure she understood the rest of what the robot said. Theft she knew was stealing but stealth . . . was that like those sneaky bombing ships Baxter told her about? And what the heck was a lapse? It sounded like a bug. Jamie scratched her head and rubbed up and down her arms to make sure nothing nasty and eight legged had attached itself to her. It was a relief to feel just skin and scalp.

_Guess it's time to call the Enterprise. _Jamie shuddered a little, not sure what to expect. She walked around the path where she'd been dumped and found that she was again near the sparkling gates and the white, shiny walkway leading into the fun park. Jamie started walking around the trees and bushes shaped like animals. At least it was nice and quiet off the path in the woods. Kind of like home. A lump formed in her throat and she blinked back tears. Jamie sat down on a little knotty piece of wood shaped like a bench. Birds called to one another and the bright, dancy music called people to enjoy life. _Wish I could_.

What would Daddy do? That was the question. Jamie didn't really know how he'd punish her. Now with Gramma, Jamie pretty much knew what to expect if she did certain things. Yesterday, just because she tried to talk to him, he'd taken away her recreation time. Probably this was a lot, lot worse than that. Jamie sat for a long time trying to work up the courage to use the communicator. After awhile, her bottom got sore sitting still and her legs ached to move. Standing up she walked a little way into the woods and made a discovery.

Part of the high fencing that went around the fun park had been snipped open. There was a little rut dug under the fence like some animal had snuck underneath. Jamie picked up a stick and tapped the fence - no energy field running through it or sparks would fly out.

On the other side of the fence, Jamie could see a little house like a fairy tale cottage. She watched a little while and noticed that if she leaned to the right, she could see people past the little cottage getting into a swan shaped boat. The boat would then sail into the cottage. It must be a ride of some kind and it looked like fun. By leaning to the left, Jamie could see the boats sailing out of the cottage and the people all had big smiles on their faces.

_I wish . . ._

Jamie wasn't really thinking about it being wrong to climb under the fence. Then. Crouching down, she managed to wiggle into the rut left by the little animal and pull herself under and through the fence. Quick as a wink, she was in the fun park. The communicator lay on the ground right outside the fence but Jamie was in too much of a hurry to pick it up. _I'll come back for it later._

Smiling to herself, Jamie brushed the dust from the front of her black pants and cheerful pink shirt and started around to the front of the fairy tale cottage.

"Halt!"

Two big hairy hands stopped her in her tracks. Jamie looked up, up, up into the tallest man she had ever seen. He wore a warriorlike helmet, dark glasses and a uniform like an Earth policeman. The voice that came out of his mouth sounded like the words were being translated into English. "You have violated the laws of Mavaro by entering Disney Mavaroon by stealth. This is your second lapse. Come!"

Jamie had no choice when he clasped a bracelet around her wrists that locked her hands together.

"Come, prisoner."

_I think I'm in bigger trouble now_. _Big, big trouble._


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter 5

_I'm sorry, Daddy._

Jamie had been practicing what to say for the longest time. There was nothing else to do in the tiny room with bars. Surely, Daddy would come to get her soon. He'd probably be awful mad, but he wouldn't leave her in this jail. _Brig - that's what Baxter said it's called on a ship. Daddy might like the Enterprise more than me, but he won't leave me here. Will he?_ As soon as Daddy came, she wanted to be ready to explain how she hadn't meant to be so naughty she got thrown in the brig. Jamie still wasn't sure just what she'd done to end up here anyway. But, it was probably best to say she was sorry right away even if she hadn't done anything wrong. Daddy sure didn't like people who broke the rules.

Hours and hours ago, the scary man who'd grabbed her at the fun park had put her in a small shuttle-like ship and brought her here. The bracelet around Jamie's wrists had locked into a chain on the seat in the shuttle and she couldn't really see outside the viewscreen. Two other people had been chained inside the shuttle - a Mavaronian and some alien with furry hands. None of them were allowed to talk. The scary man hollered so. Jamie felt like crying but she was too scared. She wished that she hadn't dropped the communicator or that she hadn't hidden on the _Explorer. _

When the shuttle had stopped, the scary man led her into a building where a giant Marovian woman in a bright red uniform with lots of shiny gold buttons took over. They spoke to each other in a language Jamie couldn't understand. The scary man kept pointing at Jamie. Finally, the woman used a universal translator and spoke in English, "Guilty of defrauding the good people of Disney Mavaroon by using stealth to gain entrance to the park. Your sentence is two terms of imprisonment. State your name."

"J - jaime Diana Kirk."

"Where hail you from?"

"I don't understand." Jamie answered.

The scary man and the woman talked some more in another language. Then the woman scanned Jamie with something that looked like a tricorder.

"Earther," she announced. "How you arrive here?"

"I came on the _Enterprise."_

More foreign talk, then the scary man unlocked the bracelet on Jamie's wrists. It felt so good to move her hands . . . for a minute. The woman snapped on a pulsing gray bracelet on Jamie's right wrist. Colored lights glowed green and a chronometer on one end looked like it was counting down numbers. Jamie thought they were universal numbers but she couldn't be sure. It pinched though.

"Move forward!" The woman ordered and shoved Jamie in the back.

Jamie stumbled a little and the bracelet on her wrist glowed deep red, gave off a shrill whistle and the numbers moved backward.

"Move!"

Sniffing a little now, Jamie started to walk where the woman pointed.

"Halt!"

Jamie stopped in front of a doorway with a force field. The woman did something to a data screen on the wall and the force field hummed off. They stepped through and it came back on. Jamie thought they walked for a long, long time. On each side of the hallway there were rooms with bars that hummed and glowed with force fields. In some of the rooms people stared out at Jamie and the woman. In other rooms people shouted and hollered or called the woman bad names. After each bad word, the bracelets on their arms would glow bright red, give that shrill whistle and the people would holler some more.

Jamie's stomach tied up in knots and big sobs ached in her throat. This was the scariest place she'd ever been - even scarier than the shuttle deck on the _Enterprise, _or Gramma's cornfield after dark. Scarier even than having Centauri pester her about coming to the planet.

Finally, the woman pushed Jamie into a small room with a bunk hanging off the side of the wall, a small silver bucket with a lid and a silver spigot coming out of the wall. Outside, she tapped a data screen and a force field filled the gap across the doorway with glowing, silver/blue bars.

As the woman moved away, Jamie couldn't help a big sob from coming out. "I want my daddy!" She hollered as loud as she could. On her wrist the bracelet glowed red again, another shrill whistle and the numbers did a dance backward. Crying, Jamie sat down on the bunk and wrapped her arms across her chest.

_I wish Daddy would come get me. . . even if he is madder than anything._

That had happened hours and hours ago. Jamie's tears were all dried up and she curled up on the bunk-practicing saying she was sorry. _Why didn't Daddy come? _Jamie nibbled a corner of her lip wondering what kind of punishment she'd get for this.

_########################_

The atmosphere on the bridge was informal and relaxed. Jim sat in the command chair, looking over the daily reports from different departments of the ship. Since there was nothing they had to do until Ambassador McCale arrived, most of the Enterprise crew was following standard procedure for an ordinary shift. While some of the crew were on shore leave, the others on board were doing a little of what Scotty called "housekeepin'." Without any pressing duties, it was time to do minor repairs, cleaning, organizing and outfitting the ship for their next mission to the Denali Base.

For the past hour or so, the bridge crew had been reminiscing about various planets and their time there. Spock had asked permission, and received it, to delve into some of Mavaronian history for a scholarly article he wished to present to a historical publication on Vulcan. He'd become fascinated, he'd said, with the knowledge that Mavaro had so many similarities to Earth and it's culture. There was much scientific data to prove that someone from Earth had visited the planet in the far distant past.

Uhura, while standing by at her station despite the rather boring lack of any communications, was also working on an extracurricular project with her computer. On shore leave the day before, she'd come into contact with a form of musical notes she'd never encountered. The notes were used to play sticks and rocks into a rather pleasant tune. She'd become so deeply involved in the project she forgot where she was. It came as a shock to have hailing frequencies open and whistle in her ear.

"_Enterprise_ here," she answered in her pleasant voice.

Jim turned to listen in with a faint hope that the _Apollonian_, carrying Ambassador McCale, would arrive earlier.

"Yes, Commandant," Uhura answered, "I'll relay that message to the Captain at once."

After signing off, she turned and right away Jim knew the news wasn't good. Her brow furrowed in worry and her dark eyes showed concern or maybe even a bit of fear. Even her normally steady voice trembled a little with the news she had to impart.

"Captain, that was a Commandant Leef of the Mavaro Prison System. He asked me to inform you that one of E_nterprise _crew has been sentenced to two terms of imprisonment for attempting to defraud the people of Mavaro."

"What?" Jim was out of the command chair and striding to the Communications Station in an instant. "Were there more details? Did he tell you who it was?"

"No, Captain," Uhuru shook her head as if she couldn't quite believe the brief conversation. "He did say that this was only a . . . I believe he said courtesy call . . . that normally they give out no information. But, because they hope to keep good relations between Mavaro and the Federation, he thought we might appreciate the news."

"That was it?"

"I'm afraid so."

Jim turned next to the bridge crew who were staring at him with similar expressions of dismay and puzzlement. "Who the devil is on shore leave? Pendleton," he ordered the rather thin, nervous ensign who handled the organizational details involved in shore leave, cleaning and other mundane duties. Pendleton had a gift with lists, numbers and keeping things in line on paper. Dealing with people was harder. "Call up that list and give it to me on the double! Uhura, try to open communications with someone down on Mavaro and see if you can find out what the devil is going on. Spock . . ." he stepped up to the First Officer's station and took a deep breath. "Prison terms on Mavaro . . . how long are they?"

"According to my recent research the Mavaro Prison System is quite unique. A term of imprisonment is roughly two Earth years . . . however . . . the terms can be lengthened by bad behavior, resistance and any of a dozen other reasons."

"So two terms is close to four years?"

"Yes, if the prisoner is a model one and does not cause the numbers on their restraining device to add more time."

"Restraining device? Explain."

Spock turned so that the various bridge crew could also hear his statement. His finely tuned Vulcan ears could sense that everyone wanted to know the fate that awaited their unfortunate crewmember. "Each prisoner is given a restraining device on arrival. It's similar to a band worn around the wrist. The device counts down the prison term with a built in chronometer. If the prisoner violates any of the rather stern laws of the prison system, the device emits a high pitched whistle and adds on more time. The device glows red to show the prisoner he has violated one of the laws. Interestingly enough, these violations can change day by day so that a prisoner is never sure what he or she has done."

"This charge . . ." Jim swiveled to Uhura for confirmation and back to Spock, "what was it? Defrauding the people of Mavaro - what does it entail."

"There could be many ways this could be violated, Captain."

"So one of the crew has gone down there, probably gotten liquored up and into some mess that landed them in prison. This is as, my grandmother used to say, a fine kettle of fish."

Spock's eyebrow went up. Although he would deny it, his face did move in a slight expression of puzzlement. "Excuse me, Captain, but I do not quite understand the . . . analogy."

"I'm not quite sure I do either, Spock. We just need to figure out what to do now. The Federation is going to frown on us leaving someone down there for the next four years." He sighed. "Don't these people have a trial or a jury or anything where we'd have some chance of having this overturned?"

"Negative, Captain. Violators to Mavaro law are judged immediately by the arresting body and taken to prison. It is one reason they have so few criminals."

"Mr. Spock," Uhura asked, "Is there anyway to get out of prison before the end of the term?"

"There is one way."

"And . . ." Jim spread his hands in a give-it-to-me gesture.

"It is death."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." _A fine kettle of fish indeed. _"Pendleton! Give me that list! Uhura, try to get that information! If you can't hail someone in the Prison System, we'll go to the top and talk to the King. There's got to be someone who can overthrow this sentence. Get busy people! Maybe we can get this resolved before Ambassador McCale gets tossed into the kettle . . ." Jim sat down in the command chair with the weight of that on his shoulders. "I knew shore leave was a bad idea . . ." he mumbled mostly to himself. "Stay on the ship . . .nobody gets hurt."

"Captain," Uhura said, "I'm getting a communication from the _Apollonian, _sir. They anticipate being here a day earlier than expected. Should I respond?"

"Why not?" He threw up his hands in momentary defeat. "Tell them we'll be waiting."

Varoom was in trouble. Even worse trouble than the night before. Although he'd had a few rounds of winning cards while the Captain and other officers dined with the King, mostly he'd lost. Big. It had helped that he'd been saving credits in the hopes of taking Vanessa in Engineering out for a flaming good time. So, thankfully, he'd avoided defrauding his gambling debts by clearing out his credit limit. Defrauding on gambling debts here meant a swift kick into Mavaro Prison. From what he'd heard, they locked you in and lost the key.

Today the cards hadn't gone his way at all. He'd switched from the game of Earth poker to Mavaro Rings. It looked easy, until he tried to play it. Too soon he'd sunk himself in over his head. He'd extended his credit borrowing limit and unless this last hand came out a winner - he was in deep space trouble.

"Show your cards, Earther," the Andorian ordered, his attenae twitching in anticipation. "See if you can beat this."

Varoom began to sweat. His hand included three double circles. It was hard to get three. Most players only managed one or at the most two. "Let's see you beat this," he tried hard for a tone of bravado but his voice shook.

The Andorian spread out a perfect hand of double circles. Four. He'd probably cheated, Varoom didn't know how, but there was no way he was calling the alien out.

"You lose," the alien said. "Pay up."

"Let's see, how many credits was that?" Varoom asked as he pulled out his data pad and pretended to check his credit limit. The bright red zeros flashed and a warning came on the screen. _You have exceeded your borrowing limits! Please deposit more credits immediately. _He hid the small screen from the others around the table, swallowed past the hard lump of fear in his throat and said, "Could you excuse me for a minute? I need to call my ship and deposit some more credits into my account. How much did you say I need?"

"80,000 credits."

"Um, sure . . . that's right . . . let me just go . . ."

The Andorian's hand shot out and he grabbed Varoom around the throat. "You better come back, Earther, or I will track you down."

It was all Varoom could do to gasp enough air to keep from passing out. The others around the table, including two of the _Enterprise _crew, shrank back away from the fight. There'd be no help from them if this got ugly. Varoom tried to speak but the words were garbled. Just before he blacked out, with white specks floating before his eyes, the Andorian let go. Varoom gulped air gratefully.

"Go . . . but you better come back."

"Sure, sure . . . just give me a few minutes."

#############

Carolyn Banks stared down at the recipe and read it again. Mumbling to herself, she read the list of ingredients over. "Ground beef, eggs - chicken, bread crumbs - white, sage . . ." It looked as if she had everything in the yellow bowl. Hopefully, she read the next instructions and began to mix it all up with her hands. Carolyn had eaten plenty of meatloaf on Venus, even the Earth variety, but she'd never tried to make it before. As a nanny, one of her duties was to prepare real food for Jamie when supplies were readily available. Her grandmother had left a recipe box of Jamie's favorites and meatloaf was one of them.

Right as her hands were their stickiest, Carolyn's personal com chat buzzed.

"It never fails!"

She thought about ignoring it, but then the thought popped into her head that it might be the Captain. He called several times a day to check on his daughter's activities.

Hurrying to press the button to answer, she was pleasantly surprised to see Varoom's name on the ID box. _Good thing it's not a video chat, she thought, with this mess on my hands. I'm sure I look a sight._

"Varoom! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you were . . ."

"Listen, Caro, I need your help. I'm really in a spot of trouble here."

"What's wrong?" Inside she was thrilled that he'd turned to her in his hour of need. Carolyn had heard the rumors about him spending time with Vanessa in Engineering. Putting compassion into her voice, she swiped the messy mixture off her hands and said softly, "You know I'll help you with anything."

"You will? You're a gem, you know that Caro? I knew I could count on you. You remember the other night when you told me you were saving up credits?"

"Yes." She answered with a wary note in her voice. Somehow she hadn't expected his need to include credits.

"Do you have 80,000? You mentioned you had enough for dinner at the Green Pelican. You still have those?"

Maybe he wants me to get shore leave and meet him for a romantic meal. Giggling a little, she flirted, "Oh, so you want to know about my credits, do you?"

"Stop acting stupid!" He snapped. "Do you have the credits or not?"

Hurt by this unexpected attack, Carolyn gasped as tears filled her eyes. _Don't speak to me like that,_ she wanted to say. _You hurt my feelings. _But in the next second he was all apologies and explanations. Like he always did, he somehow got her all twisted up inside and she ignored his bad humor.

"I'm sorry, baby," he murmured, "I'm just in a bit of a fix here and I need those credits. If I don't have them either one of two things is going to happen. This evil-eyed Andorian'll either murder me, or I'll wind up in the Mavaro Prison. Please help me, you're the only one I can turn to."

It melted her heart right away and soothed the hurt feelings. Part of Carolyn knew she shouldn't give in, that he might just be using her. If those rumors about Vanessa were true. The other part wanted to believe so much that she and Varoom had a future, she could deny him nothing. He had turned to her in his hour of need. Right then it was enough. "Of course, I'll help you." Carolyn bit her lip. "The only problem is I only have 50,000 credits."

He muttered a curse word. Then his active brain took over. "Look, can you borrow on your credit amount?"

Borrowing was so alien to her frugal upbringing; she shuddered, but admitted she could borrow up to 40,000 credits.

"40? How'd you rate that high a limit?"

"Most nannies are allowed more, in case of an emergency that involves the children we take care of."

"Caro, I know I don't have any right to ask this but could you send your credits to my account, then borrow the rest and have it sent over? I'll send my banking number."

Warning, warning, her frugal nature shouted, but she only allowed a twinge to come through. "All 90,000? I thought you only needed 80?"

He ignored that. "I promise to pay you back, sweet Caro. We'll even find some way to have that romantic dinner at the Green Pelican before we leave this planet. Or if we don't do that . . . there's this tiny cafe on the Denali Base . . . candlelight, violins, the best Saurian brandy you've ever tasted. . . "

Again Carolyn giggled. She'd never tasted Saurian brandy or any other kind. "Well, okay . . . send me your number." In less than two minutes, she had transferred 90,000 credits to Varoom's account and listened to his grateful thanks. He'd even blown a few kisses over the com chat line.

Carolyn went back to mixing the meatloaf with a smile on her lips, imagining being with Varoom in a tiny cafe with candlelight.

############

"Captain," Uhuru had finally found someone in authority that would deign to speak to a lowly starship. "An Officer Scree is willing to speak to you. Shall I put him on the screen?"

"Certainly." Jim waited for the Mavaro's face to come up and was pleasantly surprised to see the man looked human. There were many of the Mavaronians who did, as Spock's scientific research had proved. Others had a distinctive purplish cast to their skin. "Officer Scree? I am Captain James Kirk of the Starship _Enterprise_. Thank you for speaking to me."

Officer Scree gave a brief nod. His silver white hair gave him a look of calm dignity and his face wore lines that showed a hard, though not unpleasant life. "You're welcome, Captain Kirk, but as I told Lt. Uhura, there is really nothing I can do. The Mavaro Judicial System has been in place for generations. Its laws are immovable."

"I understand that and certainly we don't want to do anything that would interfere with your planet's laws," Jim said. "However, you can understand my position too. One of my men or women has somehow - perhaps accidentally - violated one of your laws and landed in prison. Perhaps it's all a misunderstanding, a language barrier that might be easily explained. If I could speak to the prisoner, clear things up . . ."

Already the man was shaking his head. "I'm afraid that is quite impossible. Mavaro law prohibits any communication between prisoners and those outside."

Jim clenched his jaw but forced himself to keep a pleasant expression on his face. "Very well. But surely you cannot deny me the information of knowing who the prisoner is. He or she might have family somewhere that will need to be notified."

"Your request is most unusual," Officer Scree mumbled. "We have never had anyone who asked this before."

Hopeful, Jim pressed this slight advantage. "Perhaps, if the King were asked, he could grant this request? There might be some way to work it out . . ."

Officer Scree shot bolt upright in his chair and went rigid. "The King is NEVER involved in prison matters. Excuse me, Captain Kirk, but I have other pressing matters to attend to." With that the screen went blank and left the bridge crew in stunned silence.

"What the devil just happened?" Jim asked.

No one seemed to know except Spock. "Perhaps the Officer's reaction makes sense in light of some research I have been reading."

Jim swiveled his chair to face the Science Officer. "Explain."

Steepling his hands, Spock faced everyone and spoke. "According to various . . . legends . . . myths . . . rumors . . . however one wants to name them, there is some reason to believe that King Hescate, as well as his predecessors, has amassed a great deal of their fortune by releasing prisoners and taking . . . bribes I believe is similar to the Marovian word. Perhaps, Officer Scree either wants to ignore this fact or pretend it doesn't exist. It is possible he felt you were hinting at this in your query."

"There might be a third possibility," Dr. McCoy suggested. Bored with the empty sickbay, he'd come calling on the bridge for company.

"What might that be, Doctor?"

"Maybe he doesn't know about it. If there are bribes involved, maybe the King has someone set those restraining devices forward to say that a prisoner's time has elapsed. According to what you've told me, Spock, no one keeps any records except on those devices."

"It is a quite logical assumption."

McCoy beamed at this unexpected compliment. "Even a lowly country doctor hits a bullseye once in awhile."

"I fail to see the connection . . ." Spock began but was interrupted by Jim.

"A bribe, huh?" Jim was already thinking of possible ways around this impasse with the Mavaronians. Bribes reminded him of poker. He couldn't have explained why. "Uhura, hail that Commandant Leef and tell him that I wish to speak to him. Let's see if we can't do a little bluffing and see what happens. Everyone at your stations and look . . . stern and unyielding. I have an idea."

After a brief period of back and forth messages, the Commandant finally agreed to speak to the _Enterprise. _Sitting in his most authoritative position, with the rest of the bridge crew staring daggers at the viewscreen, Jim dismissed the man's greeting with an annoyed, "Commandant, I demand to know the identity of the crewmember who was taken prisoner and the specific charges of the crime."

"Captain Kirk, as I have explained to you, that is quite impossible. Our laws prohibit the releasing of any information. Normally, we do not even inform passing ships that their crewmembers have been taken prisoner. We did this as a courtesy, at the King's request, because of our negotiations with your Federation. Now if that is all, I have other business at hand."

"It is not all!" Jim sat up straighter and formed his face into a scowl. "I'm sorry to have to inform you, but by not releasing the prisoner's name or telling us the specific charges, your negotiations with the Federation are in serious jeopardy. We do not take lightly a violation of our laws either. If you wish us to respect your laws, we demand that you also respect ours."

The Commandant looked surprised. "Your laws? I don't understand."

"Members of the Federation of planets must agree to respect a code of common laws. Many of these laws regard the humane and civil treatment of prisoners and prisoners of war. One of our laws states that everyone is innocent until proven guilty by either a trial or a Federation judicial jury - even the Klingons have agreed to this provision."

"Interesting," the Commandant murmured but he did not turn away.

"King Hescate and your governing body have asked us to come here. They have expressed interest in joining the Federation and in using the Starfleet shipping services to service other planets in the galaxy with Marovian exports. However, I must inform you that if we are not given the name of the prisoner and the charges against him or her, I will report this infraction of our laws to the Federation. We will consider this a violation of Federation treaties and consider Mavaro an enemy planet. Kirk out."

At his signal, Uhura cut communications.

"Well, let's see what happens next." He swiveled in his chair. "Pendleton, have you finished that list of who's on shore leave yet?"

"Yes, Captain," the tall, gangly man hurried to hand over a data pad with the names. "Here are the people currently on the planet. I've managed to contact everyone except shuttle pilot Varoom and Lt. Darcy from Engineering. All others are accounted for and none of them know who was taken prisoner. There are currently ten crew waiting to return to the ship on the _Explorer. _ Lt. U said that Varoom is expected to let them board at 0300, sir."

"So we see if Varoom shows up and if not, it's Darcy in the brig. Darcy, Darcy . . . Uhura, get me Scotty." Although Jim prided himself on knowing most of the crew by station if not by name, he was having a little trouble familiarizing himself with the newest crew. There'd been so many stops at outbases on the way to Mavaro, that he hadn't had time to get to know everyone personally. Others, such as the designer and workers on the children's deck, he'd gotten to know too well. Thankfully they were civilians he'd be able to leave when they reached the Denali Base.

"Mr. Scott waiting, sir."

"Scotty, this Lt. Darcy, what do you know about him?"

A chuckle came across first and then Scotty's burr corrected him, "Tis a lassie you're talkin' about, Captain. Lt. Amber Darcy an' she's one of me newest right hand crew. What is it you're wantin' to know?"

"I stand corrected, Mr. Scott," Jim smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "Have you heard from her since she went on shore leave?"

"Aye, Captain. Just a few minutes ago, in fact. She dinna go on shore leave but to find some supplies we need to rebuild the . . . well, you wouldna understand what we're rebuildin' . . . but Lt. Darcy just communicated with me that she'd found the things we need and was havin' them taken to the shuttle base."

"Is there a reason she's not answering her communicator? Lt. Pendleton has been trying to page her."

"Aye again. She mentioned that she had to shut it off to pass through an inspection grid. I expect to hear from her before she takes off."

"Thanks, Scotty." As he cut the communication, he furrowed his brow and ground his teeth a little. If Darcy wasn't the prisoner, that left Varoom, one of his best shuttle pilots. It was more than a little annoying. Varoom had always been what an old Earth dictionary called a _hotshot. _Jim sighed.

"Captain!" Ensign Pendleton hurried up to thrust a data pad into his hands. "I just established communication with Lt. Varoom. He's preparing to leave the planet with the _Explorer_, Sir. That's everyone on shore leave present and accounted for."

Jim's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out this puzzle. If everyone was accounted for, who was in the Mavaro Prison?

"If everybody's accounted for," Bones asked the same question as he came to stand beside the command chair, "who's down there in their prison? You think someone took unofficial shore leave? Or maybe they made a mistake?"

"I don't know." He sighed again and tried to ignore the beginnings of a massive headache. Pressing his fingers into his forehead, he massaged into the pain hoping for results. It didn't help. _Why me? _"But I guess we better find out. Uhura, Pendleton, begin to run the roster of crew members . . . contact each personally. If they are in their sleep cycle, wake them up. We need to know where everyone is . . . now."

It took a little time but soon the reports were in. Ever member of the crew from Officers to the maintenance crew was accounted for. Some had been woken from sleep and were grumpy, but all had answered. Then Jim had Uhura and Pendleton account for the non-crew personal that were working on the children's deck. Security personnel were sent to speak personally to everyone aboard the ship. All the builders, painters, grunt-workers and Mr. Sezon, the designer, were still present on the _Enterprise_. Jim didn't know whether to contact the prison and tell them they'd made a mistake, or drop the whole mess. Whoever the unfortunate prisoner was, they didn't belong to his ship. While he didn't agree with the Mavaronian laws, he couldn't object if one of his own were not in trouble. Starfleet would take a dim view of that.

"So what are you going to do?" Bones asked after they'd determined that the prisoner couldn't belong to the _Enterprise. _"Those laws sound barbaric. You know the Federation is never going to agree to making them a member planet if they don't come up with more humane treatment of prisoners."

"That will be up to the diplomats in the Federation," Jim responded. "As long as one of our own isn't involved, we can't legitimately do anything." He didn't remind the good doctor that they'd come up against this before. The inability - because of the Prime Directive - to change laws or cultures they didn't personally agree with.

"Captain, it's Commandant Leef. Shall I open hailing frequencies?"  
"Yes, Uhura. Put him on screen."

The Commandant's face filled the viewscreen. "Captain Kirk, I have spoken to the Mavaro governing body and we have come to a conclusion."

"Thank you for that but . . ."

"Please, let me continue." The man pushed a hank of silver hair off a sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "The governing body is very concerned about offending the Federation in any way. We are looking forward to availing ourselves of Starfleet shipping services. We are also interested in becoming a member planet of the Federation. With that view in mind, and in the hopes that you will see our good-will, the body has voted unanimously to waive prison rules in this instance. We will allow you to see the prisoner and to inform you of the charges. However, I regret that we cannot offer any concessions other than that. This person is guilty of two lapses and must serve her time. She tried to defraud the good people of Mavaro by stealth. In other words, she tried to access entrance to Disney Mavaroon without payment. You should receive the communication momentarily. It has . . ." the man's voice shook as he wiped a silk hanky across his sweaty brow, "taken quite a lot to work out the details."

"Thank you, Commandant but . . ."

Again Uhura who would have seen the picture before anyone else interrupted him, this time. "Captain, they do have someone from the _Enterprise."_

"Put it on the screen." He said automatically.

_No! It isn't possible! _Shock, denial, horror and then a gut wrenching fear twisted his stomach as the face flashed up for all to see.

"Jamie! How the devil did she get down on the planet?" It was Bones who took the words out of his mouth, but every member of the bridge crew began to murmur and express sympathy.

Jim sat down heavily in his chair as the Commandant wished them good-bye and closed communication.

_My baby, in a Mavaro Prison._ _I should never have brought her into space. _The little girl lay on a bunk behind a force field. She'd curled herself into a ball and faced forward with an expression on her face he wished he could wipe away. Sheer terror. Her blue eyes were wide and staring with it. Her little mouth set in a grim line and her hands clenched together until her knuckles were white.

"Jim, what are you going to do?" Again it was Bones who asked the question. "We've got to get her out of there, man! It looks like she's in shock already. No telling what being in a place like that will do to her."

His first reaction had been shocking, a sucker punch to the stomach that left him winded and unable to grasp the truth of the situation. His second reaction was red-hot anger that boiled over and instantly exploded. "Uhura! Get that Nanny and teacher to the bridge at once! Then get the head of Security up here. I want to know how my daughter got down to the planet and I want to know it yesterday!"


	6. It's a Small Galaxy After All Chapter 6

"Nanny Banks to the bridge at once! Nanny Banks to the bridge at once!" The command shocked Carolyn just as she slid the finished meatloaf into the small oven. Setting the timer, she glanced at the chronometer to see if she'd need to find someone else to meet Jamie after her learning cycle. The Captain didn't like any of the children wandering around the ship unattended. No, there was still plenty of time.

Wondering why she'd been called to the bridge, Carolyn hurried out of the quarters and to the turbo-lift. "Bridge," she said and then the horrible thought hit her. Maybe the Captain had found out about Varoom borrowing the credits? Maybe it was against the rules or something to loan them. Her stomach twisted into a knot and suddenly she took back everything she'd said about the Captain's daughter being a brat. Jamie wasn't a bad little kid. She was lonely and scared and terribly homesick, but she'd never really caused any trouble. This job was the easiest she'd ever had and suddenly, Carolyn didn't want to lose it. Not even for Varoom.

##############

"Ava Balderdasian to the bridge at once! Ava Balderdasian to the bridge at once!"

Ava didn't have to wonder why she was being called to the bridge. Especially when she heard the call go out for the head of Security, Clark Z. right afterward. Someone had either found Jamie or discovered she was missing.

_There goes my status in Starfleet, _she thought. Two years running, she'd won the award for Best Teacher in Starfleet. She had the respect of her peers and her crewmates, the joy of seeing numerous children learn and grow. This job on the _Enterprise_ had taken a toll on her from the beginning and it had only been three short months of regular time! Ava was used to a relaxed, open teaching environment. But with the children's deck still being finished in space, she'd had to follow the Captain's ridiculous, strict rules. It made her uncomfortable and she'd bent the rules at every opportunity, hoping he wouldn't find out. Now she'd lost the Captain's daughter and it would all end. All those years of working three jobs to put herself through college and then the Academy. All the sacrifices she'd made so she could travel through space and make a difference. All over.

"I'll be back in a little while," she told the curious children in the learning cycle who looked up at the strident command issuing from the intership communication device. Only Centauri and Javik knew the truth, although the others must wonder where Jamie had disappeared. "Javik," she addressed the most responsible of the olders, "you're in charge until I return."

_If I do . . ._

She headed for the turbolift like a prisoner on the way to her own execution.

"Bridge," she said as she stepped inside.

The horrible thought crossed her mind as she rode upward to her doom. _What if Jamie had been hurt? I'll never forgive myself._

_############_

Carolyn Banks arrived on the bridge first. As she stepped out of the turbo lift, the Captain barked and just about snapped her head off with his rapid fire questions.

"Where's my daughter?"

Surprised a little by the Captain's fierce, glaring eyes and the muscles twitching in his jaws, Carolyn tried to keep her composure. "Jamie's in learning cycle right now." When that didn't appear to faze his angry countenance, she stumbled on. "After that she goes to recreation and then to her third meal. I've made a meat . . ."

"That is not where my daughter is at!" He interrupted her.

Tears prickled Carolyn's eyes at this unexpected attack. Usually the Captain was so civil about Jamie and her activities. He asked a lot of questions and demanded answers, but not like this . . . not as if he were trying to find out what she'd done wrong. Carolyn couldn't think of anything she'd done wrong . . . unless he knew about Varoom and the credits. But what would that have to do with Jamie?

"Do you know where my daughter is?"

"She's in her learning cycle," Carolyn repeated again, willing herself not to cry. "Isn't she?"

"Uhura, put the picture up on the screen."

To Carolyn's horror, she saw Jamie, lying on a bunk behind what looked like a prison force field. The image took her breath away and twisted her stomach into knots of panic.

"My daughter is in the Mavaro Prison for trying to get into the fun park without paying. Now, how do you explain that?"

"I . . . I can't, sir. I took her to learning cycle and haven't seen her since."

"Jim," the doctor came up and just barely tapped the Captain's shoulder, "she doesn't know anything. Stop badgering her."

Visibly, the Captain's temper simmered down and he took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Nanny Banks," he said. "Obviously, you'll have to excuse my anger. I'm trying to find out how this could have happened."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't tell you." A few tears dripped out of Carolyn's eyes. "You'll get her back, won't you?"

"I plan on it," the Captain answered. He turned as the turbo lift whooshed open and let someone else onto the bridge. Carolyn saw her friend, Ava, and the fear in her eyes.

"Miz Balderdasion," the Captain turned to her and snapped the same question, "where is my daughter?"

To Carolyn's shock, Ava's eyes went wide as a moon and her voice trembled, "I don't know, Captain. I haven't seen her since second meal."

"Isn't she supposed to be in learning cycle?" He demanded an answer, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "With you?"

"She was, Sir, but . . ." Ava burst into tears, covered her face with her hands and spoke through them, "I lost her, Sir."

"You lost my daughter?" If he had screamed the words, they couldn't have sounded more ominous, but the Captain barely whispered the question in a deadly, quiet tone. "Well, thankfully, Miz Balderdasian, I've found her."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Ava lowered her hands and swiped them across her drippy eyes. Although her cheeks were red and glistened with tears, she smiled as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I'm so grateful . . ."

Before she could finish, he had Lt. Uhura put Jamie's picture up again. This time Ava's face expressed the same horror Carolyn still felt. In that same deadly tone, the Captain announced, "My daughter is now a guest of the Mavaro Prison System."

To everyone's shock, Ava's eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted. If Dr. McCoy hadn't caught her, she'd have hit her head as she went down. Carolyn couldn't believe how badly the Captain was behaving. Without caring at all about Ava, he stepped over her and said, "Bones, take care of her. I've got to figure out how to get Jamie back. Mr. Spock, Uhura, Sulu . . . to the briefing room, please. We need a plan. Checkov, you have the com."

The Captain and Officer's all got up and went to the turbo-lift as Dr. McCoy was calling for help from sickbay. Carolyn stood abandoned on the bridge staring at Jamie's frightened little face filling the viewscreen. Her stomach churned and she expected any second to lose the bagels and cream cheese she'd eaten for second meal. Not sure where to go or what to do, she followed along to Sickbay with Dr. McCoy and the nurses who'd come to pick up Ava on a liter. Ava would need a friend when she woke up.

As for Jamie, the Captain wouldn't leave his daughter down on the planet. Would he?

########

"It's the only plan we have," the Captain spoke with a weariness in his voice, his shoulders slumped and his face set in lines of pain. An hour of precious time had already slipped away while they discussed and discarded several options to get Jamie back. Legally or otherwise. The shields around the prison were so dense it was impossible to even know where she was being held. No chance of beaming her up. A rescue operation from the planet was also laid on the table and canned. Their only option was to propose a bribe to King Hescate, something he couldn't refuse. "We'll see what the Ambassador says first, but knowing Starfleet . . ."

The others in the briefing room all nodded. If Starfleet didn't offer any hope, they would do it the Captain's way. Illegally.

"If any of you would rather not be involved in this," he went around the table and waited for an answer from each one. "I won't hold it against you. I'm willing to take full responsibility for my actions and inform Starfleet you were forced to obey my orders."

"I'm sure I speak for everyone," Uhura spoke up, "when I say that we are certainly willing to do whatever is necessary to get Jamie back onboard. She's always been a part of all our lives too, Captain. Like she belongs to all of us."

A brief, poignant smile flickered across the Captain's face. "Thank you," he whispered. "Then we are all agreed?"

Everyone agreed. They would play the Captain's hand and hope it worked. That Jamie would soon be back onboard the _Enterprise. _Any other possibility was unacceptable.

Uhura's heart ached for the Captain as they exited the room and went back to their stations.

"Uhura, open hailing frequencies to the _Apollonian_. I'll speak to Ambassador McCale."

It didn't take long for the Ambassador's craggy face to appear on the screen. Apparently, by the grimace around his lips, he didn't appreciate the rather rough ride of the space freighter or it's lack of luxury accommodations. Any other time, Jim would have hidden a smirk at the man's discomfiture. Today, the situation was too serious to waste time with joking or feeling arrogant about the top brass at Starfleet seeing how the other half lived.

"Captain Kirk! I hope things are going well on Mavaro. How are the negotiations going toward getting them to use Starfleet's shipping services? Has the King mentioned if he plans to choose us over the Romulans?"

Uhura's sympathy went out to the Captain as he began to explain the dilemma to the Ambassador. With years of experience at hiding his true feelings, the Ambassador didn't move a muscle as Captain Kirk proposed a solution to the impasse. She held her breath, hoping for once that they'd found someone in Starfleet's top brass with a heart. Instead, she released her breath in an angry snort as the Ambassador began to shake his head of massive dark wavy locks.

"Impossible." That one word sealed the Captain's plan and Uhura wanted to break off the hailing frequencies, to feign interspace static so he couldn't say another word. As a good Officer, she knew she couldn't, but oh, how she wanted to. "Do you know how long the Federation has hoped to bring Mavaro into the fold, so to speak? Diplomats have worked many years to bring us to this point where they are even considering our shipping lines. Offering a bribe would be a most distasteful . . . option . . . hardly worthy of the Federation . . ."

"My daughter is in prison, may I remind you," the Captain's words were clipped as tight as Martian paperclips. "My barely nine-year-old daughter. I don't intend to leave her there to serve her time for committing some trussed-up crime she probably didn't even understand."

The Ambassador spoke in soothing, what the Captain called, _Diplomeese_. "I'm certain I can appreciate your concern, Captain Kirk. However, the negotiations with Mavaro are at a crucial point. To upset the delicate balance right now would be foolhardy. I'm sure the child is being taken care of quite well. Mavaro prides itself on their well-run prison system. Just wait a day or two until we arrive. I'm sure I can speak to the King and get this matter satisfactorily taken care of without upsetting the Mavaronians."

"And if you can't? Am I supposed to leave my only child rotting in a prison cell?"

"Captain Kirk," the Ambassador chuckled, "you have a rather short-sighted view of the situation. Perhaps you need to ask yourself some hard questions. Your child is on the planet. How did she get there? If she went as a stowaway on one of your shuttlecraft, perhaps you should be investigating that. It seems there might be some disciplinary action you need to take from your end. Maybe a few short days in the Mavaro Prison might teach the little girl a much needed lesson. You, after all, are one of the main movers and shakers behind this _Children in Space _program. I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone to look at this little incident and find cause to end the program before it's begun. Especially not because of your child."

It was a threat and everyone knew it. Uhura gasped out loud and covered her mouth with her hand. She'd never heard anyone, and she knew a lot of callous people in Starfleet, treat a child's life so lightly.

Everyone on the bridge saw the Captain's hands clench around the arms of his chair. Uhura knew the superhuman effort it cost him to remain seated, to stare at the Ambassador without calling him every curse word he'd ever learned.

"I absolutely forbid you to offer the King the bribe you propose, Captain," the Ambassador said. "That is a direct order, Mister. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," the Captain snapped with an insolence the Ambassador didn't seem to like.

A short lecture on the duties of a starship Captain followed. Shortly after that, Uhura cut the communication and waited to see what the Captain had planned.

"Uhura, open hailing frequencies to Mavaro. See if you can get me into communication with the King. Tell him I have a . . . let's call it a trade to propose. Something that will interest him."

"Yes, Captain."

She watched Mr. Spock leave his station and go to stand beside the Captain's chair, as if to support his action. Sulu and Checkov exchanged looks but didn't speak a word. Would the Captain deliberately disobey a direct order from the Ambassador? They were all wondering the same thing. He didn't leave them in doubt long.

Standing, the Captain tugged down his gold shirt and stood a little taller. "I'm sure you all heard the Ambassador forbid me to offer the King a year of free shipping services from Starfleet." The Captain grinned that lopsided, little-boy-in-a-cookie-jar grin that Uhura had come to know and love. "Well, I'm sure all of you are witnesses to the fact that he did not forbid me from offering him a lesser amount of shipping time."

"Indeed," Mr. Spock said. "The Ambassador did only specify a year."

Sulu and Checkov were both grinning as wide as their ears and Uhura saw some light at the end of the tunnel.

"Hailing frequencies open, Captain. King Hescate is willing to talk to you."

"Put him on the screen."


	7. Chapter 7

Jim had played poker with some of the finest, sneakiest and cheatingest people in Starfleet. He'd bluffed and won and other times he'd bluffed and lost. With Jamie's release laid on the table for this bluff, he was determined to hold a winning hand. Even if it meant going all the way and disobeying a direct order from a Starfleet Ambassador. He'd brought Jamie out here and he would find a way to get her out of the dilemma. If it meant he lost the _Enterprise, _then so be it.

"King Hescate, Greetings!"

"Greetings, Captain Kirk. To what do I owe the pleasure? When will your shipping barge arrive? I am quite anxious to tour the ship and see if we can make an agreement."

"I spoke to the Ambassador today and he's planning to arrive within another day or so."

The King, dressed in his royal purple robes and ermine crown, settled back into the golden throne and beamed his approval. "I truly hope we can work out a deal with your Starfleet. Mavaro has been hoping to join your Federation for a long time. We've had so much trouble with neighboring planets, especially the Scintillas, that we are hoping for some protection from your noble starships."

"You know, King," Jim sat down in the command chair, hoping he looked relaxed and conversational. Inside his stomach churned and his thoughts were a jumble of conflicting emotions. He folded his hands across his stomach to still the urge to clench them in despair. "The Federation . . . let's say . . . listens to us Starship Captains. We have a lot of, shall we call it, influence about which planets are let into the fold."

He waited while the King called for advisors and translators to run his words into a similar Mavaro word bank. At last the King understood the implications and a sly smile came across his rather chubby, purple tinted face. "Ah, Captain, I think I begin to understand. You can . . ." he consulted with two of his advisors a tall woman with snow-white hair and a short stubby man that looked almost human. "Sweeten the deal?"

Inside, Jim's churning stomach settled down. He knew it would work. His cards were laid on the table and no matter what hand he held, the bluff was going to work. It had to.

Without denying or agreeing, Jim tilted his head. It was a gesture that could have meant anything.

"So tell me, Captain," the King too settled back as if discussing merely the weather, "what would you want in exchange for sweetening the deal?"

Jim waited a few beats as if thinking it over. Then in a conversational tone, trying to keep his voice from showing his urgency, he said slowly, "There is one thing."

"Yes?"

Time to lay all the cards on the table. "My daughter was taken prisoner early today. I'm sure she didn't realize she was breaking any laws on your planet."

"Ignorance of our laws is no excuse," the King intoned. "Malefactors are given two chances before imprisonment. It seems highly fair that they receive a warning. I'm sure your daughter was given the same chance."

Again, Jim hid his clenched hands and the feeling he wanted to jump through the viewscreen and squeeze the King's throat until he ordered Jamie's release. "That may be true," he agreed with a chiding grin, "but the Federation has different rules about the treatment of children."

"How odd."

"I'm sure the Federation wouldn't like to hear that you'd unjustly charged a child with a crime she didn't understand. However, I'd be willing to ignore this fact and to keep the Federation from hearing about it . . . if my daughter is released at once."

The King appeared to be thinking. He consulted with his advisors and then ordered them to leave the room. "Captain Kirk," he sighed in a long-drawn out breath, shaking his head as if talking to a non-agreeable youth, "however much I would like to accommodate you, and to have the Federation's approval, our prison system has been set in place for years. What you ask is so unusual, so out of my control that I fail to see how I could allow this to happen. What would my subjects think of me? No, I'm sorry but . . ."

Time to lay the bluff on the table. "I'll guarantee you a month of regular time shipping . . . without charge . . . on the Starfleet shipping vessels. That way you can see if the services would suit your planet. Call it a trade - just between us."

"A month you say? In exchange for your daughter's release?"

"Yes."

The King appeared to think this over. His greedy bluish eyes shone on the screen. "The free shipping would be nice . . . but a month . . . this is how many Earth days . . ." The King turned to a small desk computer and calculated the time. His eyes glowed with avarice. "Yes, we might be able to work out shall we call it a . . . trade."

Jim's heart leapt into his throat. Was it going to be this easy?

"However . . ."

No.

The King shook his head. "A month hardly seems worthwhile to get to know how excellent the Starfleet services are. I'm sure the Romulans would be willing to offer say . . . a year . . ."

A sharp intake of breath came from Uhura's station, but Jim ignored it. Focused, he shook his own head. "A year . . . that's a little too much. Even if I were to agree . . . Starfleet might come in and squelch the deal."

"Squelch? Explain?" The King asked his computer. As comprehension dawned in his eyes, he turned back to the Captain. "I see . . .then would you be willing to offer nine months?"

"Two."

"Eight."

"Two."

"Seven."

"Three."

"Six?"

Jim sat down and acted as if he were thinking it over. Six was the number he'd decided in his own mind. Less than Ambassador McCale's forbidden order, but enough to sweeten the deal so the King knew he was getting a bargain. "You drive a hard bargain, but . . ." Jim sighed as if he'd been beaten, "I'll agree to six."

"Excellent! Then you will sign documents to this effect?"

"Certainly, but I want my daughter released first. We can beam her aboard at once. Just send the coordinates to my communication's officer."

The King waved a hand over his computer and set Jamie's release into motion. "As soon as your daughter is on board ship, you will come to sign the documents?"

"Yes. Kirk out."

They waited until the King was off the screen before the bridge crew broke out into wild cheering. Jamie was coming home.

#########

The transporter hummed and then the crystals began to form on the pad.

Jamie! He couldn't wait to wrap her in his arms and hug her. Later he'd have to get to the bottom of all this and find a way to be stern. He had to keep reminding himself she had broken about a dozen rules, put the Children in Space program in a bit of jeopardy, not to mention almost starting an interplanetary 'incident' and he still had to deal with Ambassador McCale's wrath. For some reason he still couldn't understand, Jamie had stowed away on a shuttlecraft and tried to enter the fun park. He'd have to punish her somehow, but first he just wanted to let her know he loved her.

Stepping forward as Jamie materialized, he smiled, ready to grab her up. He planned to hug her so tight she squealed. To his shock, as soon as she materialized, Jamie jumped off the dais, sidestepped him, and ran to Bones who'd been standing by.

Throwing herself into his arms, Jamie sobbed as if her heart were broken. "Dr. Bones," she cried against his shoulder before Jim could take the few steps to intercept her, "I was so scared. I wanted to be brave, but I was so scared."

"Sh, sh, of course you were," Bones murmured, patting Jamie's back. He looked at Jim with beseeching eyes, probably knowing Jamie's snub had cut him to the core. "Your daddy's been pretty scared too."

Jim shook his head. He wouldn't upset her further by forcing her to come to him now. "Take her on to Sickbay, Bones, and check her out. I have to beam down to Mavaro and sign that agreement. I'll talk to her when she's not so . . . upset."

"You sure put yourself on the line with Starfleet this time," the doctor murmured while patting the little girl's back.

"Did I have a choice?"

"No."

"C'mon, Jamie, let's go see if you're okay and get you into some clean clothes."

Up close Jamie smelled as if she'd been dumped in a sewer and looked as if she'd been rolled in mud.

Jim stepped onto the transporter pad and watched as Bones took Jamie out of the room. He'd gotten her back, but once again it felt like he'd failed.

########

It didn't take McCoy long to run a medical tricorder over Jamie and see that the only things wrong with her were dehydration and hunger. He solved both problems by giving her some water and an energy bar. Jamie managed to drink a few sips, but exhaustion took over and before he could ask her any questions, she'd fallen asleep. Worn out probably by the ordeal. It wasn't a medical diagnosis but true, nevertheless. He left her asleep on a diagnostic bed, sent to hook her up to some IV fluids and the nanny to get some clean clothes. It was also obvious the little girl had wet herself a couple of times. _Poor little kid._

Then he went to check on his other patient, the teacher. Although he'd done the physical for Ms. Balderdasian before she boarded and knew her medical record, he'd never spoken to her at any length other than in Sickbay. He was pleased to see she'd come out of her faint and appeared to be staring up at the overhead lights. When he came into the room, she turned her head and offered him a slight smile.

"I feel so silly, fainting like that. Like some heroine in an old Earth romance novel."

"There's a lot to be said for romance novels," Dr. McCoy smiled, checked the panel on the diagnostic bed and pushed it up into a sitting position. "Looks like you're going to be okay. Take it easy for the rest of the day and drink some extra fluids."

"Okay," the woman's smile disappeared and a look of gloom came over her face. "Maybe physically, but my days as a teacher are over. Dr. Harris told me they got Jamie back onboard. Will she be all right?"

He pulled up a stool and sat down. "She'll be fine with a little sleep and some food. Jamie's a pretty tough little girl."

"I'm glad. If anything had happened to her . . ." the teacher shuddered.

"Nothing did."

"That's probably not going to matter to the Captain. I mean, he'll be glad she's not harmed, but he's going to rake me over the coals for losing her. If I'd have dreamed, she'd gotten on a shuttle, I'd have gone straight to Security. Honestly, I would! I'd never have let her get down to the planet. Even when Centauri and Javik came back and said Jamie had disappeared on the shuttle deck, I never dreamed she'd stowaway in one."

McCoy nodded. "I'm convinced. I think."

"It's the Captain that has to be convinced and there is the fact that I did lose her."

She signed, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. "Suppose I should pack my things. I'm sure when we get to the Denali Base, I'll be leaving the ship."

Putting on his most concerned, old country doctor face, McCoy leaned forward and tapped the teacher's hand. "Maybe not. Why don't you tell me what happened? How did Jamie get away from you in the first place?"

The woman's face underwent a transformation and puckered up as if she planned to begin sobbing. McCoy hoped not. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a wailing female. To his relief, although her eyes filled with tears and her lips trembled a little, she didn't let a tear fall. "She didn't exactly get away from me. I mean . . ." she swiped the back of her hand over her eyes, "I knew she should be in line with the other children, but I let her go back into the classroom for her sweater. The rest of us went on and I kept thinking she'd turn up soon for her second meal. She didn't."

"Weren't you concerned about where she might be?"

"Dr. McCoy, please understand . . . I thought . . . well, I thought maybe Jamie needed a little space. The Captain had taken away her recreation privileges the day before and I felt so bad for her. All that's keeping her steady right now is being able to go into the holo of her grandmother's farm. I thought maybe if I let her wander around a little, it would help her not to be so sad."

Although he could see the logic in that, McCoy could also see the pitfalls. "Weren't you concerned she might run into the Captain? Or someone who'd report her wandering around? Or that she'd end up somewhere she shouldn't be?"

"It was a risk, but she's been so despondent. Haven't you noticed how she rarely smiles? She's so homesick. I . . . I've allowed her and Baxter Montgomery to go off by themselves before."

McCoy's eyes widened.

"Oh . . . please don't tell anyone! I'm in enough trouble, I'm sure. It's only been a few times. I sent the two of them on errands to the children's deck. It's not like they could get into any trouble there. The first time, they were gone longer than they should be - but Baxter knows the ship so well. He's a responsible little boy and knows what's off limits. When they got back, Jamie's little face didn't look as pinched and she seemed happier. She was used to so much freedom on the farm and here she's regimented like a prisoner. It was such a little thing to make her happy. Today, when she didn't come right back, I thought I'd let her have a little freedom. Then I realized that maybe that wasn't the best choice, so I sent Centauri and Javik - two of the olders to find her. They followed her to the shuttle deck but then one of the crewmen told them to leave. I kept thinking surely Jamie was just off exploring . . . that she'd come back . . . I never dreamed she'd get into a shuttle . . . I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

There was no way to soften the blow. McCoy had served with Jim Kirk long enough to know what he thought about a dereliction of duty. He'd seen grown men with tears in their eyes after a reprimand from the Captain . . . and their crimes didn't include his daughter. "Probably so."

She sighed. "I've loved being with the children so much. Being with Starfleet has always been my dream."

"You could throw yourself on the Captain's mercy," he said, not really believing it would work. "Maybe he would. . ."

"You don't have to sugar coat it, Dr. McCoy." Her sad smile tore his heart in two. "I know I acted irresponsibly. I'll have to accept the consequences of that action. Could I please see Jamie before I go?"

"Certainly." He led her to Jamie's bed where Nanny Banks had taken up her station. Jamie was still asleep but now wore a clean green dress and white footed slippers. The fluids were doing their job and the diagnostic pad on the bed showed all green lights.

"Hi Carolyn," the teacher greeted her friend, "I just wanted to see Jamie one last time."

"One last time, what do you mean, Ava?"

The teacher moved close to the bed and smoothed Jamie's dark curls from her forehead. She smiled fondly at the little girl and bent over to kiss her cheek.

"Ava, what do you mean? Where are you going?"

"Nowhere today, unless the Captain has me tossed into the Mavaro Prison. But I'm sure that when we get to Denali Base, he'll send me off the ship."

"He can't do that! Can he Dr. McCoy?"

McCoy sighed, wishing he could offer hope. "He's the Captain, so he pretty much calls the shots on who stays or goes. Ms. Balderdasian did allow Jamie to wander the ship and stowaway on a shuttle, then get herself tossed into Prison. The Captain can overlook a lot . . . but when it comes to his daughter.. . he's more like a Papa Bear than a sensible human being."

"But you're so good with the children, Ava. If the Captain hadn't come up with these ridiculous rules that treat them like prisoners . . . you have to stay. The children need you. Jamie needs you!"

"That's all gonna be up to the Captain," McCoy said. He left the two women alone, both of them ready to dissolve in tears. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a wailing female. Two of them would be an agony.

#######

It wasn't too long after the teacher had finally left Sickbay that Jamie woke up. McCoy had sent the Nanny back to their quarters to fix Jamie a meal, so he was alone when her eyelids fluttered, and she sat up with a start.

"Well, look who's awake," he smiled and went to the side of the bed.

Jamie looked around a little, as if unsure where she'd been, and then relaxed back against the pillow. "Am I home?" She whispered.

"You sure are," he said. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Jamie answered in a little voice. Looking around, she grabbed his arm and pulled him down closer to her face. "Is Daddy here?"

He'd never felt so sorry when he had to tell her that Jim was still on Mavaro. "There were some papers he had to sign to get you out of the prison. He'll be back soon. You can talk to him then."

This news seemed to distress her a little. Tears filled her blue eyes and she asked quietly, "Is he awful mad?"

"I don't think he's mad at all, Jamie. Just relieved to know you're all right."

Jamie shook her head, the tears beginning to drip steadily out of the corners of her eyes. "He's mad, I'll bet. Because of his dumb, old program. He's gonna be awful mad. I wish I could go home." To his distress, she turned her face into the pillow and began to cry quietly.

"Now, Jamie, don't you worry. I'm sure Jim's more glad than mad." He tried but nothing he said seemed to help. By the time the Nanny came back, Jamie had stopped crying but her little face had frozen in a stoic, mask of indifference. She almost looked like Spock at his worst. McCoy released her to the Nanny's care, wishing Jim would get back and just hug away the little girl's fear. All Jamie needed right now was a father who cared.

"Try to get her to eat something," he instructed the Nanny, wishing he could do more. Wishing he could ask a few questions about why Jamie had run away – if she had.

Jamie and the nanny hadn't been gone too long when Jim came in looking like a man who'd been through a war. Without conscious thought, McCoy reached into a cabinet and pulled out two glasses and the Saurian brandy. He poured and offered Jim a glass, then motioned him into a chair.

"How'd it go on the planet?"

"Fine. Starfleet Shipping now has to provide Mavaro with six months of free shipping. The King was already rubbing his greedy mitts together and making plans to take the most advantage of it." He took a swift swallow of the brandy, winced and asked, "How's Jamie? Was she hurt in any way?"

McCoy shook his head. "Right as rain. She needed some fluid, food and rest. The nanny just took her back to her quarters."

"That's a relief. Did she say anything to you about why she'd gone down planet? What would cause her to do such a thing? I can't understand it, Bones. She knew the rules about going on the shuttle deck, around the shuttles. I took her there myself and explained how important it was she stay away from there."

He perched on the edge of the desk, swirled the liquid in his glass and answered, "I didn't ask her. She was too worried about whether or not you were mad at her."

"Mad." Jim laughed but it had a bitter sound to it. "That doesn't even begin to cover what I feel at the moment. I'm relieved she's all right and disappointed at her behavior at the same time. I'm also angry with the teacher and whatever shuttle pilot let her stowaway on their craft. Sometime tomorrow I'll have to deal with all that. Then when Ambassador McCale gets here, I'll have to deal with him. Right now, I have too many emotions warring in my head to name. I'm also worried that some of the people in Starfleet who voted against the _Children in Space_ program will see this as an indication that they were right. Where do I even start to fix all this, Bones?"

"Well, Jim, do you have to think about all that tonight? Right now, there's a little girl who just needs to know her daddy cares about her. She can't go to sleep unless she knows he isn't mad at her. Why don't you start with the smallest problem and work your way up?"

"The smallest problem," that brought a slight smile to Jim's face. "I'm not sure Jamie isn't the biggest problem I face. I . . .I don't know how to talk to her anymore. Maybe we've been apart too long."

"I'll never believe that. As long as people love one another, there's no time or distance. Go fix things with Jamie and let tomorrow take care of itself."

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I am! Now go, Doctor's Orders."

Jim sat the glass on the edge of the desk and clasped a hand on McCoy's shoulder. "Thanks, Bones."

#########

Jim walked to his daughter's quarters with one goal in mind. Tell Jamie how much he loved her and that he wasn't angry at her. Nanny Banks let him into their quarters and things went rapidly downhill from there.

"Oh, Captain, I tried to get Jamie to eat. Dr. McCoy said she must, but she won't. She just sits on her bunk and won't talk to me. Maybe you can get her to eat."

"Has she said anything to you?"

"No, sir."

He put his hand over the enter pad and the door to Jamie's bedroom opened. As the nanny said, Jamie sat on her bunk, unsmiling and still except for her fingers. The quilt her grandmother had given her lay across her lap and Jamie's fingers kept pleating the silk edging, worrying it.

"Jamie," he smiled at his daughter, a smile which wasn't returned. Before she could protest, he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her silky hair_. Did he imagine it or did she pull slightly away? No, he hadn't imagined it._ Jamie wanted nothing to do with him. Sighing inside, Jim pulled up a chair and sat so he could face her. "I couldn't wait to come see you. I'm sorry I had to go back to Mavaro when you first got home. Today must have been frightening for you."

Not so much as a shrug. Jamie stared off at the wall over his shoulder. It startled him to realize it was similar to how the Academy taught its cadets to stand in the presence of an officer.

"Jamie, I'm speaking to you. Look at me."

This time she shifted her face so that she was staring right at him. Her face was set without expression except for her blue eyes. Looking into her eyes was almost like looking at himself in a mirror at the same age. He could almost see the same defiance in them. He and Jamie were more alike than he'd thought.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you today. I'm not angry with you, Jamie. The grownups around you are more to blame for what happened than you are. Your teacher and the shuttle pilot who let you stowaway, they will be punished for what happened." He waited for a reaction but there was none. "I guess you know that you also broke a lot of rules today."

"I hate rules."

Jim felt as if he'd made a slight breakthrough in her indifference. He remembered saying something similar to his father a long time ago. _Now what had George said to him then?_ "Rules are important, Jamie," he explained in what he felt was a calm, fatherly manner. Although part of him chafed at the reasonable tone of his voice. He'd resented the lecture as much as he knew Jamie must. "Without rules everyone on board ship would run amuck. We can't have little girls climbing into shuttles and taking off on unknown planets, can we?" She didn't answer so he pressed further. "Can we, Jamie?"

A shrug.

"You know we can't have people running around on the planet just because they want to visit the fun park." A glimmer of understanding began to come to him. Maybe he hadn't paid enough attention to his daughter's needs or wants. "If you wanted to go to the fun park, why didn't you just ask me?"

Suddenly, Jamie's face twisted, and tears trickled out of her eyes. "I . . . I tried," she sniffed. "You never listen."

He reached out to take her in his arms, but she scooted away, shoving herself against the wall behind the bed. "Jamie, you didn't ask me." Even as he said it, he wondered about the day she'd run up to him in the corridor. It suddenly made sense. "You did try, didn't you? The day I was giving a tour to King Hescate . . . Jamie, I'm sorry."

"No, you aren't!"

Ignoring that, he tried another tactic. "Was that why you stowed away in the shuttle and went to the fun park, because I didn't listen, and you wanted to go so badly?"

"No, I . . ." It was almost as if she were on the verge of confessing something when she stopped - wary. As quickly as her tears had begun, they stopped and she again wore her little mask of not caring. She swiped tears off her face and grabbed up the quilt like as shield.

"Then why? Why would you do something like this, Jamie?"

"Because."

It annoyed him before he got control of his temper. "Because why?"

Again silence.

He could feel his temper rising a little. "Jamie, you know how important the _Children in Space_ program is. I thought we discussed how important it is not to do anything right now that would jeopardize your living on the _Enterprise."_

"I hate you." Jamie said in an ordinary voice. "I hate you first and I hate the _Enterprise _second."

Shocked by the words and the hard, cold look she gave him, Jim felt his anger bubble a little although he tried to keep it under control. Parenting, his mother had often told him, requires one to put emotions aside and do the right thing for the child. He couldn't deny feeling hurt by Jamie's words, but he couldn't let her know that.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Jamie, because I love you very much." He'd thought about waiting to punish her - she had broken plenty of rules today - but he knew he'd have to go ahead. No sense in her having that hang over her head. Jamie's very defiance and hurtful words showed him that she knew she was going to be held accountable for going off the ship. Right now, she was already angry with him. It would be best to give her a real reason for the anger. "And because I love you, I never want to see you hurt or harmed in any way. What you did today could have had disastrous results . . ."

"They throwed me in the brig!" Jamie shouted as if to remind him. "That wasn't my fault."

"That was bad," he continued, "but it could have been much worse." He steeled himself to break her heart further. "But rules are rules, Jamie, and when you break them you have to accept the consequences."

"I hate rules third," she started to cry again.

He wanted to just gather her in his arms and hold her tight. But, he couldn't just then. He had to break her heart and his because he would be refusing her something she wanted so much. "The rest of the children are going to the fun park tomorrow. It's already been arranged. But you, Jamie, will be confined to your quarters as a reminder that rules are meant to be obeyed." He'd apologized to her half a dozen times since walking in her bedroom, but he wouldn't apologize for the punishment. Neither would he tell her that he still planned to see that she got to the fun park before they left the planet's atmosphere.

"I hate you. I want to go home! I want Gramma! I don't want you!"

Jim sighed. "I'm sorry that I'm such a disappointment to you, Jamie. Right now, your behavior is very disappointing to me too. I had expected better from you."

This time she didn't answer except with heart wrenching sobs. Burying her face into the quilt, she rolled over and faced the wall. He made sure to lean over far enough to put a kiss on her cheek. "Good night."


	8. Chapter 8

Jamie cried and cried and cried. Right away she should have said, _I'm sorry, Daddy._ Just like she practiced in the brig. _I'm sorry, Daddy. _She wanted to call him back, to tell him. She was sorry about going to the planet, sorry about getting in the shuttle, she was even sorry teacher and Varoom would get blamed because she was naughty. But she felt the sorriest because she just wanted Daddy to hold her. She didn't know why she said mean things about him and the _Enterprise_.

_I don't hate you, Daddy. Not really._

But her door had already closed, and it was too late.

######

Coming out of Jamie's room Jim stopped to talk to the Nanny. "Jamie's going to be confined to quarters tomorrow when the rest of the children visit the fun park. See that she doesn't leave."

"Oh . . ." Carolyn made a sound, bit her lip and timidly asked, "Permission to speak, sir?"

He made a go on motion.

"I wonder, Captain . . . I'd promised to go to the fun park to help with the children. Ava asked me and I said I would. Would it be possible to find someone else to help her? That is . . . if she's still going to be allowed to take them?"

Sighing, he realized again all the ramifications of Jamie's unexpected and unexplained trip down planet. The teacher had to be disciplined, the shuttle pilot, the whole thing was like a pebble sending out ripples. And to top it off, he still didn't know why Jamie had done it. He'd thought she just wanted to go to the fun park and decided to take matters into her own hand. But now that he'd gotten some rather unsatisfactory answers, he wasn't sure. His daughter's mind was a quandary he couldn't fathom. Right now, his head was pounding and he needed sleep. Maybe his last sleep as Captain of the _Enterprise_ if Ambassador McCale had his way. "I'll be sending word to Ms. Balderdasian that she's required at a disciplinary hearing at 0800 the day after tomorrow. However, there is no need to disappoint the children or keep them from the fun park." He ran a hand over the back of his neck. Blast this tension! "Have you had shore leave yet?"

"No, sir."

"Then why don't you keep your plans to help chaperone. Inform the teacher she'll be expected to take the children as planned."

"What about Jamie?"

"Give her breakfast before you leave and key code the door so she can't . . ." he almost said _escape_, "leave without someone knowing. I'll have my yeoman check in on her during the day."

"Thank you, sir." She smiled and then turned serious. "Captain? Might I put in a good word for Ava? She loves the children and teaching . . . I'm sure she didn't intend for Jamie to land in the prison."

"Nevertheless, Nanny, she did. She must face the consequences for her actions. She was responsible for Jamie and allowing her to wander into the shuttle deck was irresponsible. It could also have been dangerous."

"Yes, Captain."

Somehow that word, _Captain_, came out like Bones would say it . . . like an insult.

He'd had enough for one day.

#####

The next morning, he was able to put a few things into perspective. Arriving at the shuttle deck, Jim watched the excited children filing into the shuttles. Varoom had the _Explorer_ all set and Ensign Queat was at the helm of the _Advantage. _ As discreetly as possible, he motioned the teacher to step to the side.

"Yes, Captain."

"I'll expect you at a disciplinary hearing in Briefing Room A tomorrow at 0800. We'll discuss then what action should be taken."

"Yes, sir. Nanny Banks told me."

"In view of what happened yesterday, I don't think I need to remind you that it's imperative you keep the children together and out of trouble."

Her head snapped up and those dark eyes blazed with an anger she didn't dare express. "Yes, sir, I'm sure I understand that much."

"If I had my way, no one would be going back down to Mavaro, but the decision is not mine to make. See that the children enjoy themselves, but make sure you bring them all back."

This time she didn't answer but the contempt on her face said it all. Jim figured he'd gone far enough. Maybe he had - this whole planet was making him crazy. Or maybe it was the _Children in Space_ program. Maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Whatever it was, he knew when retreat was the best option. He left the teacher and the excited chatter of the children swarming around her. The next item on his list was Varoom. Security had determined that the only way Jamie could have gotten to the planet yesterday was sneaking aboard the _Explorer._

"Varoom," he called the man out of the shuttle, "I need to speak to you before you leave."

Unsuspecting, he came with a ready smile. "Yes, sir. I'll take good care of the kids for you."

"You do that." Jim steeled himself for what needed to be done. "You'll take this shuttle trip down to the planet but when you get back, you're relieved of duties for the rest of our time here."

"Sir?" Varoom's face held a somewhat confused look. "May I ask why?"

"Because Mister, you had a stowaway onboard yesterday."

"No way."

Jim snapped, "Yes, you did! My daughter somehow got aboard, hid and got down to the planet. It had to be in your shuttle, that's the only way. You're the only one who went down planet."

This time Varoom had the grace to look chagrined. "I - didn't know, sir. I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't do it. Your duty is to do a check of all the cabinets, the head, etc. before taking flight. Isn't that proper procedure? You're also supposed to do a weight check to see that the shuttle isn't carrying excess cargo. Did you follow that procedure?"

"I . . . no, sir." Varoom hung his head.

Jim knew that all the shuttle pilots sometimes waffled on following the weight requirements. They were supposed to check the numbers as each person or piece of cargo came on board, then check it against what was really on board. Any discrepancy meant a thorough search of the shuttle. If Varoom had marked off each person who came aboard, he'd have known something was wrong. "My daughter ended up in the Mavaro prison - surely you heard the story."

"I . . . no, sir . . . I was otherwise occupied yesterday. I'm sorry."

"You'll be a lot sorrier. You're also docked two weeks' pay for not following procedure."

At this the man's face took on a panicked expression. "Two weeks?" He gulped and began to almost plead. "Captain Kirk, could I ask you to rethink this, sir? I have . . . expenses . . . "

"You should have thought of that before you were lax in your duties. Just one slip up out here in space can cost someone their life - or an interplanetary incident. Remember that." He snapped harder than he meant to but wanted to hammer it into the shuttle pilot's head. There was no room in space for carelessness. Not checking the shuttle before taking off was an amateur mistake. One he didn't want repeated. Varoom had always been a hotshot, daring and adventurous. While that could be good in some situations, in others it was like inviting death.

Feeling like a tyrant, Jim left the shuttle pilot ambitiously checking weights as the children came aboard. Checking off the next item on his imaginary list, Jim pulled aside the Nanny as she came up to the shuttle holding two little boy's hands. "May I have a word with you before you leave?"

"Yes, Captain." She smiled down at the children. "Jonah, you take Charles' hand and help him get buckled in."

"Okay." Jonah answered and walked up the ramp into the _Advantage._

Jim smiled down at the two and watched them get aboard. "They're going to enjoy the fun park." He wished, not for the first time that morning, that Jamie was going along too. "How was Jamie this morning?"

"Sulking," the nanny answered. "I tried to get her to eat but she swallowed about four bites of oatmeal. She's not very happy."

"No, she's not." He agreed.

"Captain," the nanny began motioning him to follow her to a somewhat quiet corner. Quiet being an iffy word. The shuttle deck was crowded with crewmembers, the chattering noisy children, some of their parents who'd come with last minute admonitions to their offspring or to just wave good-bye. A clanging sound came from inside one of the shuttles as a mechanic bolted one of the seats back into place. It echoed in the vastness of the deck and made speaking almost impossible. "I know that Ava has her hearing tomorrow and I wonder if I might come and give some testimony in her behalf."

"You're welcome to come, Ms. Banks, but I'm not sure what you could say that would change my mind about the teacher's actions."

"Thank you, sir."

"Keep those children out of trouble down planet," he told her as a parting shot.

It was going to be a long day and it had barely begun.

The next item on his imaginary agenda was speaking to Bones. After that, he had work piled up to his ears on the bridge. There were things that had to be done, reports that had to be finished and preparations made for Ambassador McCale's arrival. Sometime today he wanted to go talk to Jamie again . . . but he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

###########

"Well, now," Dr. McCoy came into Jamie's quarters with a covered plate in his hand. Ignoring the little girl's scowl, he forged ahead and sat the plate on the small table in front of her - close enough she could smell the treat. "I was just sitting in my office and a little bird told me there was someone down here who wouldn't eat."

"There's not any birds on the _Enterprise," _Jamie said. "An' birds don't talk anyway."

"Now that is where you're wrong. There are plenty of talking birds in the galaxy - like Myna's and Parrots on Earth, and those White Winged Dovers on Antari 4. But, you're right, there aren't any birds onboard ship. It's just a saying. However, am I right in believing that you aren't eating?"

"I'm not hungry."

She said it but he could see she was interested in the plate. Trying her hardest not to, he noticed her sniff as she trying to figure out the scent. Eventually, as he knew it would, her curiosity won out. "What's under there?"

"Well, now," he grinned, "if I show you, then you have to promise to eat one."

Jamie thought that over. "What if it's something I don't like?"

"You'll like it."

"I don't know." Biting a corner of her lip, she leaned closer and sniffed openly. "It smells good though. I guess I could eat one if you show me."

Pulling off the silver lid, he watched her face and wasn't disappointed. Jamie's face underwent a transformation and she clapped her hands in delight.

"Are they real? Or those junky things from the food selector?"

"They're real," he whispered, "but don't tell anyone else." McCoy pushed the plate closer to Jamie and watched her grab a chicken nugget in each hand. It didn't take her long to have a mouthful in her eagerness to eat as many as possible. According to what Jim said the Nanny told him, Jamie was on a silent hunger strike. She'd eaten about four teaspoons of oatmeal for breakfast so she must be starving. Especially since she hadn't eaten much after the ordeal yesterday.

"These are good," she mumbled or that's what he thought she mumbled while cramming chicken nuggets in her mouth.

As unobtrusively as possible, McCoy opened the small cooling unit and got out milk and some vegetables the Nanny had stored. He poured a glass of milk, cut up some carrots and Maravoian cucumbers and placed them in front of Jamie. "Why don't you round off your snack with these?"

To his relief, Jamie picked up the vegetables and began to crunch her way through them. When she asked for a dipping sauce, he found some type of red dressing in the cooling unit. Jamie even asked for more carrots and looked sad when the plate was empty of the nuggets.

"I love nuggets," she mourned, picking up crumbs of breading with her finger and licking them off. "Gramma used to take me to McDonald's and we'd buy them. Our favorite one was on the Moon. These are better though. Where did you get them, Dr. McCoy?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "I have my sources." Pulling out a chair, he sat down across from Jamie and reached into a pocket for another treat. Although it looked like a normal chocolate bar, McCoy had them specially made to include vitamins, special nutrients and other healthy stuff most kids wouldn't eat. "How about dessert?"

"Chocolate!" Jamie squealed. She made short work of tearing off the wrapper and sinking her teeth into the dark squares. "It's yummy," she said with her mouthful. "S'ank you."

"You're welcome."

It didn't take Jamie long to make short work of the chocolate. Now he could tell Jim that the little girl had eaten and was chock full of good vitamins and minerals. Even the nuggets had been scientifically laced with vital things she needed to bounce back from the shock of landing in a prison cell.

Now that he'd fed her, he figured she might be receptive to questions - the other reason for his visit. Pretending interest in the puzzle she'd been working on, he played with a piece that had a blue edging and stared at the completed picture trying to find a place for it. "I guess you're a little sad today . . . that you didn't get to go to the fun park."

"No," she answered without the slightest hesitation. "I didn't want to go to any old fun park anyway." The words were full of false bravado to McCoy's ears and a second later, the little girl sighed and said quietly, "Not much anyway. Javik said there's a ride that whirls you all around."

"Maybe you'll get to go before we leave the planet."

Jamie shook her head. "I don't care."

"Now I bet, if you told your daddy how you ended up down on the planet, he'd probably take you before we leave here."

"No, he wouldn't."

Okay, so that was a dead end. Blast Jim anyway sending him on this spy mission.

McCoy decided to just ask openly. _What did he have to lose?_

"How did you get down on the planet?"

She glanced up from her puzzle with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You promise you won't tell anybody? Ever?"

"It's a promise." He could make it in all good conscience because Jim was listening in over the com.

"I flew down myself. I have secret wings and when I want to fly, I say a magic word and I fly."

Deciding to play along, McCoy slipped the piece with blue edges into place. "You don't say. How'd you come by this secret . . . ability?"

"My mama came from a planet where people could fly." She said without the slightest bit of hesitation. "I thought you said you knew her. Didn't you know she could fly?"

"No, I'd have to say I didn't know that."

"She could, she really could." After this statement, Jamie put a couple of pieces in her puzzle then burst out laughing. "I fooled you! I didn't really fly."

He waited a minute and laughed along with her. "You sure did. So, how'd you really get down to the planet?"

A shrug. "On a shuttle."

"You just walked on a shuttle and sat down?"

"No . . ." her voice lowered a little and McCoy hoped Jim was able to hear all this over the com. "I kind of hid."

"Why'd you do that? Does this piece with the green go here?" He handed her a puzzle piece as if they were just trying to build it, not get a confession to her misdeeds.

"No, it goes here." Jamie slipped it into place.

"Were you running away?"

"No."

"Jim thought maybe you wanted to go to the fun park."

"Well, kinda, but that's not why I got on the shuttle. I didn't mean to get on the shuttle, that was an accident."

McCoy cleared his throat, pretended interest in the puzzle and studied the box top as if he needed help with the picture. "How does somebody get on a shuttle because of an accident? You have to go through the pressure lock and surely somebody would see you."

"They didn't. I just followed some people going on shore leave and hid in a cabinet."

"So, you could go down to Mavaro?"

Jamie shook her head until her dark curls bounced from one shoulder to another. "No, I didn't want to go anywhere. I just had to hid in the shuttle until . . . well, until . . .I wasn't even going to get out but then I thought maybe I could just go look at the fun park."

McCoy was trying to figure this out. "There had to be a reason you ended up on the shuttle deck. It's five decks from where the learning center is. Why'd you go all the way down there in the first place?"

"Because . . ."

""Cause why?"

"You sound like Daddy." She sounded annoyed now. ""Cause I had to hide from . . . someone."

"Like a game - hide and seek?"

"No." Jamie stared up at him suddenly as if she'd just figured the whole thing out. "Daddy told you to come here, didn't he? So, he can find out who's shuttle I rode on an' he can holler at somebody."

_I told you she'd figure it out, Jim. And blast you anyway for not doing as I said and just hugging your little girl last night. If you hadn't gone all Captain and punished her, she'd probably have told you everything. _"What makes you think that?" When you don't want to answer, ask a question back. He'd learned that as a cadet.

Jamie's eyes narrowed and she looked at him fearlessly. "I'm mad at Daddy an' I'm not telling him anything. He don't ever listen anyway. All he cares about is his old ship. He didn't care when that mean old King made me go to jail."

"Now there's where you're wrong. He cared very much." He worked the puzzle a few minutes trying to figure out how to ask her more when he felt a pop, a bang and a slight shuddering of the room. "What the . . ."

"What happened?" Jamie asked, a little frightened. "Did someone shoot at the ship?"

"No, I don't think so . . ." he answered right before the alarm claxtons began blaring and a voice hailed him from the Intership Com.

"Dr. McCoy you're needed in Sickbay. Dr. McCoy."

He jumped up and ran for a com, jammed it on and said, "What's going on?"

"There's been a trilithium tank explosion on the Children's Deck. Three of the painters have been badly burned and a fourth is still trapped between a pressure lock . .."

"On my way - get them shot full of Benzaloid compound and put healing coolers on the burns. McCoy out." Jamie sat at the table her eyes wide as saucers. "I've got to go, Jamie."

"Will the people be okay?"

"They should be. You finish that puzzle and I'll come back later and help you with the codes. Okay."

"Okay," she answered in a scared little voice.

"Don't be scared," he tried to comfort her.

Once in the hall, he stopped at a com and spoke to Jim. "I've just given Jamie lunch and she ate. I'm on my way to Sickbay. You might send Yeoman Miller to keep Jamie company, she's a little scared by all the excitement. Or better yet, go yourself."

"I wish I could, Bones. I'll try to get there later. In the meantime, I'll have Miller check in on her. Let me know what's going on with the painters."

#######

Jim didn't hear Bones reply, but the grumbling response sounded like something better left unsaid. He dispatched Yeoman Miller to Jamie's quarters with a hurried, "Play a game with her or . . . something."

Although his yeoman didn't look too pleased, she'd joined Starfleet to get away from five younger brothers, she obeyed.

"Captain, the Ambassador is hailing the Enterprise with his plans."

"Ask him to wait momentarily," Jim told her. Then, while he kept the Ambassador waiting, he called down to the ship's library and ordered some movie disks sent to Jamie's computer. He'd rather have spent time with his daughter himself but there was no time right now. Maybe if he got away before she went to sleep . . .

"Put him on the screen, Lt."

#######

Varoom was a man squeezed between two choices - neither of them good. All the way down to the planet he'd kept his anger in check. Carolyn had maneuvered to ride in his shuttle and her constant chattering gave him a headache. Not needing a co-pilot, he'd let her sit next to him. Several times he asked her to pipe down so he could think. This hadn't put her in a good mood. When he noticed her frown, he realized that he'd have to make up for it somehow. There might come a time when he'd need her again.

"Sorry, sweet Caro," he whispered for her ears only. "I'm so mad I could spit Rigilian nails - and you know how hard those are."

"What's wrong?"

"The Captain docked me two week's pay for letting his brat stowaway in my shuttle!" He exploded. "Like I'm responsible for those kids onboard. Having kids in space is a bad idea in my opinion. They're a pack of trouble, the lot of them."

One of the little boys had overheard and stuck his tongue out at Varoom.

Carolyn didn't answer right away, so he reached over and grabbed hold of her hand. "You make a cute co-pilot. Sorry I took my anger out on you. I've just got . . . problems and I need those credits."

To his disgust, she didn't succumb this time to his charms. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you need credits?" She asked. "I just loaned you . . . you know."

He sighed. "It's something I can't tell you . . . something I'm ashamed to tell you. . but I used your credits to pay off some . . . debts. Then yesterday, I wrote an IOU which I hoped to make good out of my pay. That is until the Captain axed it. Now I'm in deep space doo again. You don't happen to have any more stashed away . . . do . . ."

"No!" The answer came out sharp.

Uh, oh, sweet Caro was thinking over where her 90,000 credits had gone and not liking the idea much. Thankfully, they had just landed on the planet and the excited screams of the brats turned her attention away from him.

It was just as well. Varoom had work to do. Maybe, if he offered the Tellerite he'd given the IOU a chance to play for double or nothing . . . yes, that was it. The only bad thing Varoom could see was that he'd have to win. Big. Big enough to pay back Caro before she went all virtuous on him and told someone. Someone who'd get him deeper in trouble. Big enough to keep him from defaulting on the debts he'd made playing Mavaro Rings and writing IOU's. Big enough to keep him out of Mavaro Prison.

Varoom had a plan . . . big enough . . . and today was his lucky day.


	9. Chapter 9

"Jim, have you been down to talk to Jamie yet?"

"Not yet, Bones, it's been a long day. I'm still on the bridge with Pendleton getting those manifests in order for the . . ."

Bones let out a not very elegant curse. "You need to get down there and talk to your daughter! Manifests be . . ."

"I can't." Jim was sad, guilty and angry about it all at the same time - but he had duties that had to come before Jamie. It was how life was.

The doctor had the grace to sigh. "I know . . . I guess I'm just taking out my frustrations on you. Those stupid painters had the absolute ignorance to light an acetylene torch near that tank. They could have blown themselves to smithereens. As it is, they're going to be out of commission for a while with healing burns. The one who got trapped in the pressure lock broke both legs and an arm. I've set all the broken bones, but he needs to be immobile for a while. As if that's not enough, a couple of the kids have come back from the fun park with a type of . . . well . . . hives."

"Is it serious?"

"No. Just an allergic reaction to some of the local flora in the area. I've treated them and they're back in their quarters. I'm expecting the other shuttle to come in any second with the older group. Your nanny said that four of the teenagers were complaining of upset stomachs and headaches."

"From hives?"

McCoy chuckled. "Can't say until I take a look at them, but I'd say there were experiencing their first hangovers. When I asked the nanny if they'd eaten or drank anything unusual, she said they'd consumed quantities of the Mavaro Designer Water." He laughed a little harder. "It sounds safe - but it's almost 50 proof! You know the advice Starfleet used to give cadets . . . about a new planet."

For the first time all day, Jim smiled. "Guess that's a heck of a way to learn not to drink the water."

"I'll let you know how things go. And Jim, go kiss your daughter good-night. That's an order."

"Yes, Captain Bones," he parried back.

_I'll try. If there weren't fifty million things to do before then _. . .

########

Jamie was still awake when Nanny Banks came back from the fun park.

Nanny Banks was not happy that Jamie was awake. "What on earth are you doing out of bed?"

It didn't seem the right time to say she had never gone to bed. That silly Yeoman had come to bring supper a long time ago. Even though she said Dr. McCoy had sent the food, Jamie had pretended she wasn't hungry. Dr. McCoy had not kept his promise to come back and help with the puzzle. It made her mad at him too. So, Jamie did not eat the yummy smelling spaghetti and meatballs - real meatballs too. Well, not with the yeoman watching. Jamie waited until she'd gone and then she ate every bite. Even if she was mad at Dr. McCoy, he sent good food.

After she ate, Jamie tried to watch one of the movie disks Daddy had sent to her computer. It was a funny movie, but Jamie didn't feel like laughing. She felt sadder and like she might cry any second. She turned off the movie and tried to send a Sky Greeting to Gramma instead. Although Gramma's face came up on the screen, it was just a recorded greeting and a cheerful message telling Jamie to leave a message. Jamie was too unhappy seeing Gramma to say anything.

The time seemed like it dragged and dragged and dragged after that. Everything Jamie tried to do made her feel sadder and sadder . . . like her heart had giant stones in it and it was going to go kerplunk to the bottom of her feet. The rooms were so quiet and scary. She turned on all the lights in the quarters and waited for Nanny Banks. . Jamie was almost glad to see her, even if she did holler.

"You aren't even in your night clothes! And I bet you haven't brushed your teeth, have you?"

"No."

"Then go, right now, on the double. I want you in that bed in five minutes or you won't get the surprise I brought you."

A surprise. Jamie wanted to pretend she didn't care - after all - Nanny Banks had left her alone all day. But she was too curious not to ask. "What is it?"

"It's Fairy Floss but it's too late to eat it tonight. I'm sure it will give you nightmares. It has to be packed with Mavaro sugar."

Jamie watched Nanny bring a bright purple confection out of a plastic sealer and put it in the cooling unit. "You may have it tomorrow."

"It looks like cotton candy." Gramma had always taken her to the county fair, and they ate lots of cotton candy. Funny, Jamie's favorite color there was purple too. How did Nanny Banks know these things?

"It's similar, now get moving."

Although she thought about going slow just on purpose -because she was still mad at Daddy and Nanny and Dr. McCoy - Jamie decided she was too tired to care. Now that Nanny was back, the rooms didn't seem so quiet or scary. Right away Nanny turned on the music computer that played softly and she dimmed the lights in Jamie's bedroom and pulled down the quilt. Jamie put on her nightgown, brushed her teeth and climbed into her bed. It felt all comfy and cozy.

"There, now see you go right to sleep." Nanny pulled the quilt up to Jamie's chin and brushed the dark curls off her forehead. "Goodnight."

"Nite." Jamie yawned. _Maybe I'm more tired than I think. _Before she could wonder if Daddy would come kiss her goodnight tonight, she was fast asleep.

Jamie didn't know how much later it was, but a sound woke her up. There were funny noises after the sound - shuffling and a moan - maybe even bumps like someone had knocked over a chair. Lying in her bed, she pretended her ears were as pointy as Mr. Spock and tried to figure out what the noises were and why Nanny Banks wasn't more careful.

The door to her bedroom slid open and at first Jamie thought she might be dreaming.

_Daddy?_

The shadow in the door had a man's shape - big and tall - but as it came closer, she couldn't help a little scared scream from coming out. The body was like a human, but the head was an elephant! A computerized voice whispered, "Don't be afraid. No one is going to hurt you."

Jamie's heart pounded under Gramma's quilt and a scream got trapped in her throat. The thing got closer and closer to the bed. Her heart bumped and pounded, and Jamie tried to scream so Nanny would hear. The scream rolled into a ball inside and it was like she couldn't breathe at all. Panicked, she sat up and crawled to the end of the bed. The elephant man came closer with a rag in his hand. The hands were human but wore black gloves. The rag covered Jamie's nose tight with a sick sweet smell. Jamie pushed and clawed to get away, but the hands holding her were too strong. She couldn't breathe at all . . .Gagging, she tried to take in air.

_Daddy! Help me! _She thought right before the whole world went black as deep space.

Dark . . . so dark. Jamie moaned and tried to turn her head. It felt too heavy. A low humming sound filled her ears and then from far away she heard a metallic echo. It sent waves of pain into her head and her tummy felt sick. Very sick. She wanted to call for Daddy, but her mouth wouldn't move. Nothing would move - not even her fingers. Jamie thought she would be sick but then in the next second everything got darker.

######

It was not a morning Ava had been looking forward too. After a sleepless night, she'd finally gotten out of bed almost two hours before her disciplinary hearing. Like someone led to the firing squad, she moved as slowly as possible, packing up her things. Of course, the Captain wouldn't put her off the ship at Mavaro, but he'd tell her she would be leaving at the Denali Base. She waited, nervous with dread, until she decided to go up to her friend, Carolyn's quarters. She'd surely be up, making Jamie's breakfast and preparing the little girl for the day.

The trouble was, Ava could not get Carolyn to open the door. Her voice and handprint were not authorized just to walk in their quarters. She pressed her hand to the door scanner. "It's Ava," she spoke, expecting to hear a welcome, "Come" from her friend's side. Nothing. She tried it again and said, "Jamie? It's your teacher. Can you open the door?"

Nothing. Maybe Carolyn was ill. She'd complained of having stomach cramps after eating all that indigestible junk at Disney Mavaro the night before. Although unlike the older children, she hadn't drank any of the water which turned out to be an alcoholic beverage. For just a minute Ava wondered if the Captain would also hold this against her - letting half the class come back intoxicated. Then she decided she didn't care. Captain Kirk would do what he wanted to do. Right now, some wiggle of worry kept her from thinking too much about her own problems.

"Carolyn? It's Ava."

No one answered, which worried Ava a great deal. Then suddenly, she thought of a reason. They had already left to go to the learning cycle. Carolyn, knowing how nervous she would be, had probably planned to show up early. She'd told Ava that she would go to the briefing with her. That was it. _I must have missed them._

But when she got to the learning center, no one was there except Javik. He often came early and stayed late to finish his lessons - lessons interrupted during normal hours by Centauri.

"Have you seen Nanny Banks and Jamie this morning?"

"No, ma'am," he answered.

That was strange. But maybe they'd gone out to eat at the dining hall or Jamie had been called to have breakfast with her father. Ava had no plans to interrupt _that_. But she did check out the dining hall and sent a discreet request to Lt. Uhura to page Carolyn.

A few minutes later her answer came - Carolyn had not answered. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her gut.

Ava hurried back up to the Officer's Deck. If no one answered this time, she was calling security.

#####

After another half-sleepless night, Jim Kirk was not ready for the new day to begin. He still hadn't decided what to do about the teacher at the disciplinary hearing. The night before, he'd had several brief, but enlightening conversations with various members of the ship about Ms. Balderdasian. He'd even gone so far as to ask advice of those whose opinion he respected.

While everyone admitted that the teacher had been at fault in not reporting Jamie missing earlier, no one was ready to ship her away yet. Although the teacher's actions had inadvertently caused Jamie to wind up in the Mavaro prison, she hadn't intended anything so drastic to happen.

"Sure she made a mistake," Bones argued over a late nightcap, "I'm not saying you can overlook that. And I'm not too sure she should have allowed Jamie and Baxter to wander around like she did - but Jim, her motives were for the best. She was trying to help Jamie to adjust."

"That's what bothers me, Bones. It's one of the things that's hard about this Children in Space program. I don't want the children sequestered from everything aboard ship forever and certainly when their deck is finished, we won't have to be as strict, but right now I need to know they are safe. Now that I know Jamie's been roaming around freely, it bothers me. I'm not so willing to overlook that."

The doctor shrugged. "It's your decision but remember this - she's a good teacher. Starfleet recommends her, she's been highly decorated in Academic circles and the kids seem to like her."

"That's all well and good, but her negligence led to my daughter being taken prisoner on Mavaro."

"You know, Jim, you might be overreacting to this a little. I talked to Jamie awhile after she got out of the prison. It scared her because she thought she was being put in the brig - but the impression I got is that she thought it was more like a time out than anything horrible. She had no idea they planned to lock her in and throw away the key. She's just a kid and she'll bounce back from the experience a lot faster than we will."

It had given him a lot to think about. Lt. Uhura had also put in her opinion which ran similar to the doctor's. Give the teacher another chance.

Lying in bed, trying to steel himself to make a decision, Jim at first didn't notice the security alarm. Then it caught his attention and he opened the channel to see what was happening on his ship. "Security to Officer's Deck - Cabin C -" Jamie's room! It took him three seconds to yank on pants and a shirt, stamp his feet into boots. Outside Jamie's door he found the teacher and two security officers.

"What's wrong?"

It was the teacher who answered. "Carolyn and Jamie aren't answering in the door. I thought at first maybe they overslept, but there's no response at all."

He moved to the door and placed his hand on the lock pad. "Kirk." The door responded to his command and slid open.

"Sir, let us proceed," one of the Security officers cautioned, but Jim was already in the door heading for his daughter's room. The door was propped open, the lock jammed. It only took a glance to see her bed was empty, the quilt tossed back.

"Jamie" he called pulling aside the bedclothes, looking in the shared head, searching under the bed, behind the furniture. His heart pounding, he finally let his mind catch up to the fear clenching his throat, obstructing his breath. Jamie wasn't anywhere in the room. He turned into the living and kitchen area, noticing all the activity centered around someone on the floor. His heart rammed into his throat and fear seized him with a deathly grip. He could never remember being so frightened. A small puddle of blood seeped along the pinkish tiling of the floor . . .

"Jamie?"

"Sir! It's the nanny!" At the same time the other guard hit a com and ordered, "Sickbay, we have an injury . . ."

The teacher knelt beside her and said, "She's still alive. Oh, why don't they hurry? Carolyn, hang on."

"Where's my daughter." Jim let the words fall into a sudden silence. "Has anyone seen Jamie?"

"She's not here, sir," one of the guards said and held out a recording disk. "But, we found this."

Slowly Jim reached out and took the disk, noticing that etched into the surface were words, "For Captain Kirk." His hands shook a little as he slipped it into the nearest computer. The Security guards crowded around as static filled the screen, then settled into a darkened picture - too dark to show where the disk had been recorded. Someone - man? woman? He couldn't tell - someone wearing an elephant mask and speaking through a universal translator told the bad news.

"Captain Kirk. If you ever want to see your daughter alive again, you will deposit

500,000 credits into the banking coordinates I'll give at the end of this message. You have twelve hours." The message ended except for a list of numbers - the banking coordinates.

He didn't realize he'd stopped breathing until he coughed and chocked in air. One of the Guards pressed the computer to eject the disk. "We'll get right on this, Captain." He said, then as he turned to leave the room he murmured, "I'm sorry. We'll do our best to get Jamie back for you."

"What the devil's going on here?" Bones asked coming through the door. "Jim?"

"Jamie's been . . ." the word was almost too hard to say. "Kidnapped."


	10. Chapter 10

The next few hours passed as if in slow motion. All they knew was that Jamie had been forcibly taken by person or persons unknown. Security got right onto the problem and began a thorough search of the quarters for any clues left behind. They called in other crew members and under Mr. Spock's guidance began to search all the recording devices that might have given them information about who had entered Jamie's quarters, attacked the nanny and taken her. They ran all the tapes from the recorders - including the so-called Nanny Cam that kept track of Jamie's quarters in bursts of half hour segments. It didn't take long for them to give him the worst news of all. Someone had tampered with all the recorders that would have seen who entered Jamie's room and who'd taken her away. Whoever had taken Jamie knew what they were doing. They'd managed to slip in and out without leaving a single 'footprint' behind.

The news rapidly got worse. Although neither the transporter nor the shuttle had been used to take Jamie off the ship, there was no way to tell if she'd been beamed off or taken off some other way. Not with all the recording devices scrambled or erased. If this were some type of terrorist group or even someone from Mavaro with a political agenda, they might have kidnapped Jamie just for the ransom. If it were an individual, the possibilities were endless.

Thinking it might have been someone from the Mavaro prison system, in retaliation for Jamie's early release, Jim had some of his most diplomatic crew members exploring the possibilities in open dialogue. As far as Lt. Uhura could find out, no one had taken responsibility. King Hescate, himself, expressed deep concern and swore to do everything in his power to find out if someone on Mavaro were guilty.

Lt. Uhura had also tracked down the banking code the kidnapper had given. "It's what on Earth would be known as a Swiss bank account," she told Jim at the three hour mark. "Totally untraceable. You can put your credits in and the kidnapper can get them out. Then if someone ran a trace later, there'd be no way to prove you put them in or the kidnapper took them out."

Without any options, Jim had commanded her to go ahead and send the credits to the bank. Credits he could replace . . . his daughter's life was at stake.

"Bones?" He hit the com and called Sickbay. "Is the Nanny awake? Was she able to tell you anything?"

Bones sigh told him the news would not be good. "She's not awake yet and won't be for awhile. She took a pretty good blow to the head. Eventually, she should make a full recovery. But, what gets me is why someone hit her at all."

"I suppose they wanted to get to Jamie and didn't want her to stop them. Nanny Banks is skilled in every type of bodyguard tactics."

"No, you don't understand. I ran a scan on her when I first got to the scene. Someone shot her full of a memory blocker. She still had it in her system. Even if she'd watched the person carry Jamie out, she wouldn't be able to remember two seconds later. Hitting her was just . . . spite."

"What are you saying, Bones?"

"I'm saying she's not going to remember anything about last night or this morning or whenever this all happened. And depending on the strength of the memory blocker, she might not even remember her childhood or even her own name. We just have to wait until she wakes up to find out."

It was a blow he hadn't expected. He'd been hoping the Nanny knew something. "All right, Bones." He sighed. "Let me know if anything changes. Kirk out."

Mr. Spock came to stand alongside the command chair. "Captain, I have been reviewing this crime with the Security team."

"And?"

"There are several opinions. One is that a person or persons unknown either beamed or otherwise took Jamie off the ship somehow. Without our recording devices operational, it would be impossible to know if there were any type of unidentified energy surges which would prove this. In which case the odds are . . ."

"Please don't quote me the impossibility of it all."

"Very well." Mr. Spock raised an eyebrow and went on in his calm, unhurried manner. "However, after studying all the evidence may I suggest a more probable possibility?"

"Go on."

"I believe, Captain that we must look aboard ship for your daughter. There are three reasons that lead me to believe she could still be aboard, hidden somewhere. One, the Nanny was attacked. If someone had the capability to just lock on Jamie's coordinates and beam her off the ship, they would have no need to bother with the Nanny at all. Because the Nanny was harmed, it would be logical to assume someone needed to come through the door to gain access to Jamie. Since Nanny Banks has a Security One level, it stands to reason she would not have given access to anyone unless it was a person she knew and/or trusted. Which comes to reason number two - the use of the memory blockers. It would be logical to assume it was someone she knew from the . . ."

"The ship!" Kirk jumped out of the chair and strode to Lt. Uhura who'd been unashamedly listening in. "Uhura, I want you to send a coded message to Wilkins in Security. He's to begin a thorough search of the ship at once. Fill him in on the fact that the kidnapper might be someone on board the ship. Although I hate to think it might be a member of my crew, we have to accept that possibility."

"Captain, if I may suggest. There are others onboard ship who are not crewmembers."

Jim snapped his fingers. "The workers on the Children's Deck! Which of them could change the computer recording devices to cover their crimes? Spock, Uhura . . ." he looked around the bridge, "Pendleton! I want all three of you going over dossiers of all crew and non-crew personnel aboard ship. Find out who knew enough to pull this off. Also check everyone's banking business . . . I want to find out who needed credits so badly they'd kidnap my daughter." His gaze went to the chronometer. "We have less than five hours until the kidnapper's deadline."

For the first time since he'd seen Jamie's empty bed, he felt a surge of hope. If Jamie were aboard the _Enterprise_, he'd find her.

Less than five minutes later, one of the Security team called the bridge. "Captain, we found another recording disk. It has further instructions."

It sounded ominous.

"Meet me in briefing Room A."

The second recording disk showed the same elephant masked face, used another type of universal translator and was brief. "When the credits have been accepted into the code I gave you earlier, put the ship on Yellow Alert. Your daughter will be released. However, if you do this under false pretenses and the credits haven't been sent, beware. Your daughter won't ever be safe again."

"Yellow Alert," Jim sat back in his chair pondering this request. "Mr. Spock has presented the theory that Jamie is still aboard the ship. Having someone ask me to call a Yellow Alert would give some indication of that. Everyone on board ship would hear it."

"With all due pardon, Sir," Wilkins interrupted, "other ships in the area or even someone down on the planet could know that we were on Yellow Alert too.

With the right kind of tracking device."

"True enough. But, let's suppose that Mr. Spock is right. Is the ship still being searched?"

"Yes, sir . . . we have secured general quarters and now we're working our way through Engineering, Children's Deck, shuttle deck and cargo holds. If your daughter is here, we'll find her."

He hoped so. Back on the bridge he received Uhura's assurance that the credits had been accepted into the kidnapper's account. "Yellow Alert," he ordered and the claxon's began to clang.

_Daddy's coming, Jamie. Be brave a little while longer_.

#######

From far away Jamie heard a loud, hurtful clanging in her ears. She wanted to put her hands over her ears but somehow her arms wouldn't move. She moaned and a voice whispered, "Hang on, kid." Then she realized someone was carrying her somewhere and her hands were tied together. Jamie woke up a little more and knew that she was slung over someone's shoulder in a bag or something. Heavy cloth, hot and sweaty covered her all over. There was a tiny slit in the bag and she peeked out, even though the light hurt her eyes. She squeezed one eye shut, then opened it again. It watered and blurred, but she could see down a pant leg and a foot in a regulation Starfleet boot. The back of the boot had a funny mark like where it has brushed up against paint or something.

While she was thinking this and blinking, the person carrying her dumped her on the floor. Jamie's head bumped on the hard surface and she whimpered. A horrible smell pinched her nose and she wished she could move her hands over her nose. The person who'd dropped her walked away. Jamie could hear footsteps going fast. At first it was so light and bright her eyes burned. Then suddenly the darkness snapped everything black. Jamie gasped, terrified. She wanted to scream in the worst way but her mouth felt dry as dust. No sound came out. Even closing her eyes didn't help because she could feel that horrible black around her.

Thrashing around, she tried to work herself out of the bag or untie her hands but it just made her hotter and sweatier. What if she couldn't breathe in here? What if all the air got sucked up and gone and she died? This time she managed a scream. A tiny mouse-like scream but she got it out. Then despite her dry mouth she screamed a little louder. She screamed and screamed and screamed until everything got bright and light. There were footsteps and people and shouting. Lot of people hollering and pulling her out of the stuffy bag. Dr. McCoy was there, "It's all right now. Everything's going to be all right." Then he hollered at someone else, "Tell the Captain she's all right!"

The light hurt her eyes but Jamie saw a wall with big bubbles of color - red, yellow, green and blue. The rec room on the Children's Deck, she knew. Someone else untied her hands and another pair of hands, soft and gentle began to wipe her face and murmur calm words. Dr. Chapel. Even then, Jamie couldn't stop screaming and crying. Jamie felt the little sting and hiss of one of Dr. McCoy's old hypos and the whole world felt like it was floating away. This time, Jamie didn't care.


	11. Chapter 11

"How is she, Bones?" Jim stood over the diagnostic bed staring down at his daughter. Someone had brushed her hair out of her face and cleaned her up since he'd seen her on the Children's Deck. Jamie had been found in the section of the ship damaged when the torch had exploded the day before. It had been sealed since the accident. Again there had been no clues as to who took her or left her there. She hadn't been there earlier when the Red Security Team did a thorough search. After the Yellow Alert, one of the designers had gone into the rec room to get a sample of paint and heard her scream. He'd alerted Security and called Sickbay. By the time Jim had arrived, Jamie was under sedation and being carried to Sickbay. He couldn't stop touching her hand, her forehead - brushing her dark curls, so like her mother's, back behind her ears. His worried eyes took in every inch of her, searching for the tiniest scratch or bruise. Guilt, fear and too many other emotions churned inside him. "This is all my fault. I never should have brought her into space."

"Jim, stop beating yourself up," Dr. McCoy adjusted a dial on the bed and went to stand at the bottom. "Jamie's going to be fine. There's not a scratch on her. Whoever had her took good care of her."

"If she hadn't been on the _Enterprise_, no one would have taken her at all. I should have left her on Earth."

Bones sighed and reached out to clap Jim on the shoulder. "You can't know that. You've told me yourself how many times Winona made Jamie use a different surname so people wouldn't find out she was your daughter. You're kind of a legend in Starfleet and beyond, Jim. There are people everywhere - on Earth - in space - who'd use that for their own gain. Just like what happened today."

Taking Jamie's hand, Jim pressed it to his cheek. She felt so warm and alive. No matter what Bones said, he knew that he'd been wrong to even imagine Jamie could fit into his world. "This whole Children in Space program . . . how could I have been so wrong? It's not going to work."

"Of course it'll work! More people want to sign onto Starfleet, especially now when they won't have to leave their families behind. You told me yourself how pleased the muckity muck higher ups were at the newest enlistment numbers."

"Maybe it will work for others, but it's over for me." Sighing, Jim placed Jamie's tiny hand back on her chest. Watching the slight rise and fall of her breath, he turned to his friend. "I'm going to send Jamie home."

"To what? Winona's not going to be available for a year. You don't have any more relatives . . . oh, no, don't tell me you're even considering a boarding school? Haven't I told you enough times that's how I lost my daughter?"

"No, I . . ." Slowly, in resignation to the inevitable, Jim spoke words he'd never expected to say. "All day I've been thinking, if I got Jamie back . . . alive . . . the best thing to do would be to give her to Diana's family. Her parents are living on Earth now. Mother's taken her to visit with them a few times. It's not like she'd be going to strangers . . ."

Bones face wore his most disapproving frown and he didn't bother to sugarcoat any of his disgusted words. "That's poppycock and you know it! Diana's family blamed you for her disappearance. They've never forgiven you. How long do you think it would be before they turned Jamie against you Do you want to lose her forever, Jim?"

"I don't want to lose her at all."

"Then don't make any hasty decisions. These last few weeks have been stressful, and you need time to think."

"I have thought. All day. I want Jamie to be safe. Whoever took her today is still on the loose. Who knows if we'll ever find out who it was? Since she's been aboard the _Enterprise_, she's been taken prisoner on Mavaro and kidnapped. How much more can a little girl take? I want her to be somewhere that I know she'll be safe."

_Would it matter so much if her heart were turned against me? It's my fault she lost her mother. The other night she said she hated me. Maybe giving her to her grandparents would be doing her a favor._

Putting his hands roughly on Jim's shoulders, Bones made sure he had to face him - eye to eye. "Look, Jim, right now Jamie's safe. Having her aboard the _Enterprise_ has given the two of you a chance to reconnect. Sure there have been some bumps in space, but there always are when you make an important decision. Give this some time. Jamie doesn't belong with Diana's family - she belongs with you. Think about what I said."

"I will."

Jim sighed and motioned to the bed. "Does she need to be here?"

"Not at all. I gave her a light sedative since she seemed so upset when she was found. But there's really nothing wrong with her."

"I want to take her to my quarters. I just want to hold her."

"That's probably the best prescription I could give." Bones smiled a tired smile. "All Jamie needs right now is you."

#######

A long-time later Jamie started and woke up in the dark. "Daddy!" The word came out loud and scared and she tried to gulp it back. Just in case the elephant man didn't want her to scream.

"Shh," a strong, calm voice said. "It's all right. I'm here."

It scared her at first, that voice. It sounded like Daddy, she wanted it to be him, but what if this was a dream and she was still in the scary, dark place? Jamie woke up a little more, struggling away from the arms circled around her, holding her tight. Then the voice was gentle, talking softly and a firm hand began to pat her back, settling her into a cozy nest of lap and chest. It took a minute but then Jamie knew. Daddy. Daddy held her. She was snuggled up on his lap with her face pressed against the chest of his soft, green velour shirt. He'd found her after all.

"D -daddy?" She asked just to make sure.

"I'm right here, honey. Go back to sleep. It's just a dream."

Jamie settled into the warm, broad chest and heard, right beneath her ear the strong, steady pounding of Daddy's heart. "I c-can't. It's dark."

"Lights low," Daddy said and enough tiny lights came on around that Jamie wasn't scared. Daddy's quarters. She was in his quarters, sitting all cozy in his lap in Grandpa's old brown chair, the one that tilted all the way back so you could sleep. A warm, fuzzy blanket was wrapped around her and Daddy's strong arms kept her safe. "There, is that better?"

"Um hum . . ." she managed because she was suddenly so, so sleepy. Her eyes closed for a minute and then a thought came. Something she needed to tell Daddy right away. It made her head hurt trying to remember but then she did. "Daddy?"

"Um," he answered like maybe he had fallen asleep too.

"Daddy, do you remember when I said I hated you first?"

"Yes, Jamie." Suddenly he sounded like he was wide awake.

Jamie reached down to touch his hand but didn't look up at him. "I didn't mean it."

"I know. It's all right."

Her heart felt a hundred times lighter and she wiggled back down until she was as cozy and comfy as a kitten. This was the daddy she wanted, she thought, right before she started to fall back asleep. This was the daddy who played Fizzbin and took her camping and . . . and . . . loved her more than the _Enterprise_. Or did he? Was he going to wait until she was asleep and then sneak away to the bridge? Then what if the elephant man came back and took her somewhere again? Suddenly Jamie was wide enough awake to ask another question.

"Daddy?"

"Um?"

"Don't you have to go to the bridge and run the ship?"

His answer was very satisfying. "No, Jamie. All I have to do tonight is hold you. I'm not going anywhere. Close your eyes and go to sleep."

It was the best answer of all. "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Will you hold my hand?"

His big hand reached down and took hold of one of hers. "That better?"

"Yes." This time Jamie let herself go to sleep. Daddy was here. He'd keep her safe.

######

Jim woke to the uncomfortable sensation of someone staring at him. Reaching up to run a hand through his unruly hair, he squinted and glanced down into Jamie's smoldering eyes. At her first words, he understood the accusation in her glare.

"Your com is blinking," Jamie said in a disapproving tone.

Yawning, he reached around her to tap the button. "Kirk here."

"Captain," Uhura's voice sounded wide awake and energetic as usual. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but you asked me to inform you when Ambassador McCale was getting close. The freighter is within hailing frequencies and estimates their arrival to Mavaro within the next few hours. The Ambassador will visit with the King before coming aboard the _Enterprise."_

"Very well, Lt.," he managed to stifle another yawn. "Keep me informed."

"Now you have to go to the bridge," Jamie mumbled without trying to hide her resentment. "You always have to go to the bridge."

He squeezed her into a hug, despite the sudden stiffening of her body and her I-won't-be-comforted stubbornness. No one had to tell him that what Jamie needed right now was a daddy, not a Starship Captain. "Well, now, that's where you're wrong. What I have to do is take a shower and dress. Then after that, I need to see that you get dressed and fed."

"Guess Nanny Banks can do that," Jamie voiced her glum predictions, wiggling away from his embrace.

"Actually, I prefer to take my own shower and dress myself," he said as deadpan as possible, earning a slight giggle before Jamie remembered her anger at him. It was enough of a wedge for him to slip in the information he'd been dreading.

"You know, Jamie, I'm not sure how much you remember about what happened to you yesterday . . ." A gasp and her eyes took on a hunted look that broke his heart. Jim took both her hands in one of his and tried to reassure her as he shared the hard truth. "Nanny Banks is in Sickbay. She was . . .hurt trying to keep you safe. Right now she isn't able to take care of you. I need you to be a brave girl . . ."

"Will she die?"

"No. Dr. McCoy thinks she will be fine, but right now she needs a lot of rest."

Jamie worked that through her mind. Looking steadily into his eyes, he could read the fear and concern mirrored there. "Who will take care of me?"

"If you promise not to run amok and destroy my ship while I shower and dress, for today I will."

It took a minute for the news to penetrate Jamie's mind and then the corners of her droopy mouth began to curve upward in a slight, can-I-trust-him smile. Jim's heart lightened considerably. Just as suddenly, Jamie's smile curved down and she glared up at him from underneath those dark, curly lashes so like her mother's. "You won't. You have to go to the bridge. You said."

Leaning over until his nose touched hers, he whispered, "I'll tell you a little secret, Jamie. I'm the Captain of the ship and I can take anybody on the bridge I want."

"Me?" She whispered back, staring eye to eye. "You'll take me on the bridge."

"If you want to go."

"I do, Daddy! I do." This time she squealed and threw her arms around his neck. He'd forgotten the exuberance of Jamie's hugs. Not that he'd gotten all that many - but sometimes when he went to Earth, she was so glad to see him that her hugs became her main expression of joy. He hugged her back, letting the worry and indecision about keeping her on the _Enterprise,_ fade away. For the moment.

"Okay," he stood her on her feet. "I need to clean up and then we'll go find you something to wear. Unless you intend to appear on the bridge in a pink nightie with yellow ducks."

"You're funny," she giggled. "I can go find my own clothes right now . . ."

"No, Jamie!" The rush of unreasonable fear was new. He couldn't bear the idea of letting her out of his sight to take a shower. He knew that he'd secured his quarters last night and that she was perfectly safe as long as she didn't let anyone in, but suddenly that wasn't enough. The thought of having her walk to her own quarters and get dressed alone sent chills down his spine.

Her lips trembled and her words wobbled. "You don't h-have to h-holler."

"I'm sorry, honey." The damage had been done but he could salvage the day if he was honest. He needed to make her understand the seriousness of the situation without being frightened. "Until we catch the person who took you and hurt Nanny Banks, I need to know you're safe. I want to keep you as close to me as I can. You can't wander around the ship alone . . ." He made a sudden decision to call Security from the shower and have them guard the door. That way Jamie would never know. "We'll go to your quarters together when I'm ready. Until I'm done, why don't you watch some animations on the Children's Channel? I won't be long."

"Okay," she answered after a couple of sniffs, fighting to gain her composure.

To make sure he hadn't scared her, Jim sat back down, took her on his knee and gave her a few reassuring hugs and kisses. "I didn't mean to scare you, honey."

After a few minutes of cuddling and a little tickling, Jim finally had Jamie back in a steady mood. Knowing how much she enjoyed puzzles, he brought out a tiny wooden box he'd been given on Veridian VII. "If you don't want to watch anything, see if you can solve this. You have to pull out all the little drawers and then get them back into the correct slot. It's harder than you think."

He left her absorbed in the puzzle which he'd never been able to solve. Once out of her sight, he called Security and had the reassurance that two were standing by outside his door. Nevertheless, he took the fastest shower on record and dressed with the speed of light. He wondered, briefly, how he could let her go back to Earth where she'd be light years away. If he could let her go . . .

#######

While Daddy was in the shower, Jamie tried to work the puzzle. It looked a lot harder than she thought so she put it down. Wandering around Daddy's quarters, Jamie stared at some of the pictures on his walls. She remembered the big one of the old-fashioned sailing ship. Gramma had bought it for his birthday one year. There were some holo images Jamie had never seen sitting on the cabinet beside his big bed. Uncle Sam, Jamie knew from Gramma's pictures, and some of Mama. Jamie stopped beside one that she had never seen of Daddy and Mama. They were both laughing at something, looking down at a pink, wooly . . . Jamie wasn't sure what. As soon as Daddy came out of the shower, all spiffed and sparkled as Gramma used to say, she asked him.

He came over to look at the image and smiled. "We were looking at you. We'd stopped on a cold planet - well, I can't recall now - but the natives there sold those wooly blankets. Diana wanted to have one and when we put you inside, you settled right down and went to sleep. We were laughing at . . ."

Suddenly, Daddy's voice changed and got all thick like he couldn't talk. He swallowed hard and Jamie could see he didn't want to say more.

"I'm hungry," she said real quick so he wouldn't have to feel sad. "Could we eat now?" Maybe another time she could ask him to talk about Mama and the wooly blanket.

"Now that you mention it, I'm famished too." Daddy looked glad that he didn't have to talk about Mama anymore. "Let's go to your quarters and see what we can rustle up."

"Huh?"

"Let's see what we can find to cook," Daddy explained.

Jamie thought it was awful funny and a little embarrassing to walk to her quarters in the pink nightie. Especially since she saw some Security officers at both ends of the corridor. They were pretending not to look, but Jamie's face flushed bright red anyway. She knew because she saw herself reflected in the door as Daddy slid it open.

"Find something to wear," Daddy told her as he went to the cooling unit. "I'll see what I can find in here."

"Who's going to cook?"

"Me."

"You can cook? Not just use the replicator?"

Daddy grinned and winked. "A few things."

This was something she had to see! Jamie hurried into her bedroom and changed into a pink dress. She liked pink and purple so she slid her feet into purple slippers. Not sure who would do her hair, she grabbed a purple flowered headband and the brush from her small built in vanity table. When she got back into the tiny galley, Daddy had eggs, milk, and a mixing bowl set on the counter. He'd turned on the heating unit and was stirring something in a flat pan, the kind Gramma called a skillet and Nanny Banks called a flat cook.

"What are you cooking?" Jamie stood beside him and on tip toe peered into the pan.

"Scrambled eggs and . . ." a pop sounded from the toasting oven and bread slid out of the space. ". . . toast. What do you like on your toast?"

Jamie liked honey and so did Daddy. There were three kinds in the cooling unit, so Jamie got them all out and put them on the table. She got out plates and silverware as Gramma had taught her and set the table. Nanny Banks hardly ever let her do anything, so it was fun now. Back on Earth it got kind of boring. Before too long, Daddy had the eggs and toast on the plates. They sat down to eat.

"Yum," Jamie said, "you're a good cook."

"Your grandmother saw to that. She taught my brother and me how to mix up a few things."

With her mouth full of egg, Jamie mumbled, "Wishaawa . . ." swallowed and said, "She sure showed you how to make yummy eggs."

Daddy laughed. "There isn't much to making eggs. Drink your milk."

"You sound like Gramma. She always . . ." Jamie didn't know what happened but right then she got a huge pain in her tummy and a big ache in her heart. It was like the elephant man had dropped another big, black bag over her head and turned everything sad. She suddenly missed Gramma so much she thought she might cry. A tear plopped into the honey on her toast and Jamie knew for sure she was going to cry. "I miss Gramma an awful lot," Jamie said and swallowed down the hurting lump in her throat_. I will not cry. I will not cry._

"So do I," Daddy said. "When we get to the Denali Base, we'll be close enough for you to talk to her over Galaxy Greetings. Would you like that?"

Jamie nodded but she didn't trust herself to talk. For the next few minutes, she ate her eggs, finished her toast, and drank her milk. It didn't taste as good as it had before, but it made some of the awful ache in her tummy go away. While she'd been eating, Daddy got up and used the replicator to make coffee. Jamie could tell by the scent, which smelled so much nicer than it tasted. Once, she'd sneaked a sip of Gramma's. Daddy made a face after the first sip, so maybe he didn't like the taste much either.

"Jamie, can you be a brave girl for me?" Daddy asked.

Looking down at her plate, Jamie felt the thumpity thump of her heart. Every time someone asked her to be a brave girl, something scary happened. She didn't want to find out why she had to be brave this time.

######

Taking another sip of the gruesome fake coffee, Jim leaned back in the molded plastic chair and took a hard look at his daughter. At his words, Jamie's head drooped and she slid down in her chair, trying to make herself invisible. She didn't answer him but Jim knew he had to press on. Bones had said the little girl was capable of answering questions about the kidnapping - that no memory blocker had been used on her. Yesterday, he'd given orders that no one was to question Jamie but himself or Bones.

"Honey, I don't want to frighten you, but I need to know what you remember about who took you."

As if she'd thought he wanted her to be brave about something worse, he saw Jamie visibly relax and her breathing even out. Without a hint of fear in her voice, she spoke up clearly. "I don't remember anything."

"You didn't see the person? Not at all?"

He'd seen the masked person in the ransom recording, but he wanted to see if Jamie could add any scrap of information. "Think, honey."

"You . . . you wouldn't believe me if I said it wasn't a person."

So that was it. Jim leaned across the table and put his hand on top of hers. "Yes, Jamie, I would believe whatever you told me."

She seemed to be thinking that over. Quietly, as if she were afraid the words might someone be wrong, she bit the corner of her lip and then whispered, "It was an elephant headed person."

"With legs and arms like a human?"

Jamie nodded.

"But the person wore an elephant mask?"

"A mask? Was it a mask? I thought . . . maybe it was a half elephant, half person like the minotaur. You believe me, Daddy?"

"Of course I believe you." Having the confirmation, he wanted, he shared what he knew. "I saw him or her too."

"Did it speak? Could you remember the voice?"

Jamie shook her head, took a reflective nibble of toast. "It talked but with a universal translator. They all sound the same."

Frustrated, Jim had hoped for another answer. "I know."

"Daddy? Why did the elephant person take me and hide me? I don't understand. Was it a game?"

"No, honey, it was no game."

In simple words he told her that she'd been taken and held for credits. He explained ransom at her questions. Jamie didn't appear to be frightened of that, so he told her how they'd searched the ship looking for her. With a surreal sense of duty, he explained kidnapping.

"That's a bad thing to do isn't it?" She asked, playing with a crust of toast on her plate. "Once at the school I went to, this boy kept making me give him my milk credit card. He was mean."

His daughter had been bullied? Jim wondered why he'd never known this and a new wave of guilt washed through him that he hadn't been there for her. It took him a minute to realize Jamie was still relating the story and he'd missed part of it.

" . . . so he never tried to take my card again." She finished.

"What? I missed that last part. Why did he stop?"

"Because of Susan, this friend I had."

"Your friend made him stop taking your milk card?"

"No, Daddy . . ." Jamie laughed. "Because of the Vulcan part."

Jim shook his head to clear it, obviously he'd missed more than he thought. "Can you tell me the story again. I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention."

Jamie shrugged. "Avi, this mean boy at school kept making me give him my milk credit card. An' then Susan said he kept taking hers too. So we made up this plan so he'd stop. I told Avi that I was part Vulcan an' if he didn't stop taking my card and Susan's, I'd give him a Vulcan nerve pinch every time he took our card. An' while he was knocked out, we'd paint his face like a Venusians Clown."

"And he believed this?"

"Not at first. So then me and Susan thought we better prove it."

"How?"

"That was the easy part. Susan's big brother, Todd, didn't like Avi." Very intense, Jamie stopped to fill him in on this part of the story. "Todd is almost grown up. He's got his own flitter an' everything. That Avi, one day he took a key and scraped it all the way down the side of Todd's flitter and made a big scratch. That's why he didn't like him. So he helped me and Susan with our plan. Todd pretended he was chasing Susan, yelling at her. We made sure we were in the playground where Avi could watch too. Susan started yelling for me to do the Vulcan pinch on Todd. He's pretty tall so I had to climb up on a tree and lean over in a branch to pinch him. Todd rolled his eyes back like he was really pinched, and he fell on the ground. He stayed there too when Avi walked over to see if he was really out."

He couldn't help it. Jim burst out laughing at his daughter's ingenuity.

A little smug herself, Jamie shrugged and finished up. Her grin reminded him somewhat of a younger James T. Kirk. "When I told Avi he better stop for good, he got really scared. He told all the other kids too an' nobody bothered me an' Susan the rest of the year."

Jim took another sip of the coffee, grimaced and decided to have his Yeoman make the real thing when he got to the bridge. "That sounds like something I would have done. Maybe you have more of me in you than I thought. I always thought you took more after your mother."

"That's what Gramma said when she found out." Jamie agreed. "She said Jamie Diana Kirk, you're Jimmy the second." They laughed and then Jamie turned serious again. "Daddy? How come the person wanted all those credits?"

He sighed. "That's something we're still trying to find out. If you're ready, let's get to the bridge."


	12. Chapter 12

Jamie skipped along the corridor holding her daddy's hand. This was how she'd expected living on the E_nterprise_ to be. Happily, Daddy knew how to brush hair and fix hair bows, so Jamie knew she looked her very best. Going on the bridge was special and she wanted to look right - especially when she'd see Mr. Spock. Jamie couldn't tell anyone, but she really liked Mr. Spock. She thought he was . . . well, fascinating. From somewhere in her mind, she remembered words she thought were Vulcan and said them out loud.

Daddy looked down at her as he hit the button for the turbo lift. "What did you say?"

"I think it's Vulcan for hello?"

"Yes, it is. Did you have Vulcan friends in school?"

"No, Daddy." Grownups sure had no idea how school really was. Jamie rolled her eyes but made sure she didn't look at Daddy while she did it. "The Vulcan kids don't make friends with Earthers. I just remember hearing the words from . . . somewhere."

"Mr. Spock probably taught you," Daddy said as the lift doors opened on the bridge. "Before you went to Earth, you were fascinated by him."

_I was? I still am . . ._

As soon as Daddy's feet hit the bridge floor, he turned into Captain Kirk. His back got straighter, his voice got stronger and he began to call out orders and commands. He wanted to know everything about what was happening on his ship. Jamie stood by the turbo lift door, blinking back silly tears and wishing she didn't feel so scared and lonely.

Mr. Spock turned from his Science Station and gave her a nod. Jamie thought it might be a greeting, so she spoke the words she remembered as hello. When Mr. Spock responded in Vulcan, Jamie felt other words coming out of her mouth to answer. There wasn't a way to say them in English, but Jamie thought they meant, "Have a pleasant morning."

Suddenly, Jamie didn't feel so lonely.

"Jamie," Daddy turned around and smiled, motioning her to him. "Come help me run the ship."

Jamie knew she wouldn't really get to run anything, but it was nice that Daddy hadn't forgotten her after all. Sitting on his lap in the command chair, she stared out the view screen at that old Mavaro planet. Mean old King and his silly brig. Jamie stuck her tongue out and nobody stopped her.

For a little while, Daddy read reports and signed them. He had his yeoman bring real coffee and even some hot chocolate for Jamie to sip. When Jamie got tired of sitting, she wandered around the bridge and asked questions. Lt. Uhura let her listen in on some communications between ships, Mr. Checkov let her look at the navigational charts and tried to explain what they were for in the old days. She even got to use the com to call Mr. Scott and ask what Baxter was doing.

"Ach, Lassie, he'd be in his learnin' cycle, wishin' you a speedy recovery to join him in mischief."

Jamie felt a little smug that she didn't have to be listening to the teacher today.

"Captain," Lt. Uhura called out a little later, "it's Dr. McCoy in Sickbay. He says to let you know that Nanny Banks has woken up."

"Status?"

"It's good news, Sir," Lt. Uhura smiled. "Dr. McCoy says the dosage of memory blocker must have been small because she has almost total recall except for the past two days. He says she even seems quite pleased to have forgotten the trip to Disney Mavaron."

Daddy chuckled and some of the tired lines left his face.

"She's asking to see Jamie, Sir."

"Tell him we'll be down soon."

"Is Nanny Banks getting better?" Jamie asked, not too sure she liked this idea. If Nanny had to stay in Sickbay, maybe she would get to spend more time with Daddy.

"Yes, she . . ." Daddy started to say before Lt. Uhura interrupted him with an urgent message.

"Captain, it's Ambassador McCale. He's quite insistent that he speak to you now."

"Just a moment, Uhura." Daddy didn't look so happy now. When he smiled at her, Jamie knew it wasn't an all the way through your heart smile. Just a pretend on so she wouldn't worry. "Why don't you go stand by Lt. Uhura for a few minutes, honey."

"Okay."

Jamie walked up and Lt. Uhura gave her hand a squeeze. Then she opened hailing frequencies to the meanest man Jamie had ever seen. His whole face filled the view screen shouting and hollering. It was the reddest, angriest face. Coming from his mouth were words, lots and lots of angry words. He even shook his fist at Daddy over his com screen and finally the words made sense.

"Captain Kirk! I have just left a meeting with King Hescate and I am appalled . . . no, more than appalled at your high-handed misuse of Federation policy. How dare you offer to give the Mavaronians free shipping for six months! Do you know how much that will cost the Federation?"

"Yes, I believe we have calculated that . . ." Daddy tried to say but the hollering man interrupted.

"What were you thinking, Kirk? What audacity, what . . ."

"There were extenuating circumstances." Daddy snapped. The veins in his neck were tight and his eyes were narrowed. It looked like Daddy was getting awful mad himself. Jamie watched him clench his hands around the armrests of the command chair. He'd like to punch that old Ambassador, she could tell.

"I don't care what kind of circumstances there were! This was not your area of expertise and you should have kept your nose out of it." The Ambassador shook his fist again, spittle spraying from his mouth, "You've overstepped your bounds this time, Kirk. I'm going to report this and make sure that you are relieved of your command. You can consider this your farewell voyage on the _Enterprise. _You will never get another starship again if I have anything to say about it. McCale out!"

There was silence on the bridge after Lt. Uhura cut off the view screen. Someone coughed and there were some quiet rustlings. Then as if nothing had happened, Daddy spoke out. "Mr. Pendleton, Mr. Spock, I want the status on the investigation. Have we narrowed down anyone who needed that many credits?"

As if everyone were going to ignore the angry Ambassador, they quietly went on with their work. Jamie's stomach hurt just from hearing all the angry words - even if she didn't understand everything he meant. For a few minutes, she watched Lt. Uhura working her station, then she tugged on Uhura's red sleeve. "Lt. Uhura, what that man said . . ."

"Yes?"

"Could he really make Daddy lose the _Enterprise_?"

Lt. Uhura's warm dark eyes smiled at her, but not like she really meant it. "Oh, honey, don't let that worry you. The Captain will work it out. Everything will be fine."

_No, it won't._ Jamie knew, without Lt. Uhura saying so, that everyone was worried. She could tell by watching Mr. Checkov and Mr. Sulu give each other what-will-happen looks. By the way Lt. Uhura's forehead crinkled and her eyes kept looking at Daddy while she sighed. Mr. Spock didn't look worried - Vulcans never did. But, he laid a gentle hand on Daddy's shoulder and whispered something. Daddy gave him a tired smile. Jamie didn't know what Daddy had done to make the man so angry, but it must have been something really bad.

"Jamie?" Daddy called her.

When she came, he bent down to her level and talked just to her. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm going to be really busy for the next couple of hours. Yeoman Barrows is going to take you to Sickbay so you can see Nanny Banks. She's been asking for you. Later, we'll have dinner together. I promise you."

"Daddy, can that man really make you lose the _Enterprise_?"

Jamie didn't like the answer. Daddy didn't say yes or no.

"Don't worry yourself about that. I'll see you at dinner." Daddy gave her a kiss and waved as she got into the turbo lift with Yeoman Barrows and two Security men.

_Daddy can't lose the Enterprise. He can't._

Even though he told her not to worry, Jamie did. Something was very wrong.

#####

Jamie planned to talk to Dr. McCoy as soon as she got to Sickbay. Her first question was right there on the tip of her tongue. "Could that old Ambassador make Daddy lose the _Enterprise_?" That plan didn't quite work out. Yeoman Barrows stopped to chat with Dr. Sampson, then she insisted that Jamie talk to Nanny Banks first. Nanny was glad to see her, which made Jamie feel good. Sometimes she felt like maybe Nanny didn't like her at all.

"I'm so happy to see that you are okay," Nanny said when she first saw Jamie. "I've been so worried about you. Dr. McCoy says I'll be able to report for duty in another day or so."

_Denebian slime devils, just what I was afraid of_.

After that Nanny Banks went through a big list of stuff Jamie shouldn't forget to do. Jamie kept nodding and not listening while she made her interested face. Baxter had taught her that so teacher wouldn't call on her to answer. Most of the time it worked.

"Now, you remember, Jamie."

"Okay. Could I go talk to Dr. McCoy now?"

"Yes."

Again, Jamie got sidetracked by Yeoman Barrows. "Are you finished with your visit? Good. Come on and I'll take you to the learning center."

"No." Jamie didn't dare stamp her foot, but she wanted to. "Nanny said I could stay and talk to Dr. McCoy."

The Yeoman did not look happy. "He's busy, come along like a good girl."

"Daddy said I could too." Jamie wasn't sure if he had or not. She hadn't asked him, but probably he would have said yes. Besides, she didn't really want to go back to the learning center right then. "I don't want to go." Daddy's yeoman frowned at that and looked like she was getting mad. Jamie didn't know her well enough to know if she'd holler or worse. Putting on her saddest face, Jamie tried a trick that worked pretty well sometimes, "I don't feel good."

Yeoman Barrows didn't look like she believed that at all, but Dr. Sampson came up behind Jamie and put kind hands on her shoulders. "Leave her here and I'll keep an eye on her. After what she's been through, she probably doesn't feel like getting back into a routine."

"Well, the Captain didn't say . . ."

"I'll speak to the Captain," Dr. Sampson said, smiling with her warm blue eyes. "Go on back to work. Jamie's in good hands here."

"If you're sure . . ." Even then the Yeoman didn't act like she wanted to leave. "You'll tell the Captain?"

For answer, Dr. Sampson pressed her com button, asked for Daddy and right in front of everyone said, "Captain, would you mind if Jamie visits in Sickbay awhile? There are a few little jobs she can help me with."

That was nice of her, Jamie thought, to make it seem like she really needed my help.

Daddy said, "Certainly, if she won't be any bother." After Dr. Sampson assured him that she wouldn't, he gave his permission. "Send Yeoman Barrows back to the bridge."

_Ha ha, so there_.

"Better you than me," Yeoman Barrows said with a funny laugh.

Dr. Sampson didn't laugh back but squeezed Jamie's shoulders again. As soon as the Yeoman left, she gave her the job of sorting some folders by color. Then Jamie rearranged a pile of computer disks in A,B,C order. Easy stuff. She worked and kept looking around for Dr. McCoy. Jamie saw him a couple of times in the hall, looking at charts, talking to a couple of the nurses about some treatments. Twice he went into his office, closed the door and she could hear his voice rumbling as he recorded something. He even waved her way once, but he didn't stop. Jamie was getting pretty desperate to talk to him. The more she thought about Daddy losing the Enterprise, the more her tummy ached.

_I don't really like the Enterprise. It takes Daddy too far away from me. But, I know Daddy loves it_. She remembered Gramma saying, "he loves that ship so much it's almost like a person to him."

"Dr. Sampson? Doesn't Dr. McCoy ever stop and rest?"

"Rest? I'm not sure he knows the meaning of the word."

After awhile, Dr. Sampson had lunch sent into Sickbay and after everything was cold, Dr. McCoy finally came to sit down. Jamie did what Gramma called "dawdling" over her apple slices and milk, waiting for everyone to go away so she could talk to him.

At last they were all alone at the table in the break room. Jamie spilled out the question in a hurry.

"Dr. McCoy? Could that old Ambassador take the Enterprise away from Daddy?"

"Could who what?"

So, she had to explain about the Ambassador yelling and hollering and what he said. "Could he?"

"Well now," Dr. McCoy took a sip of coffee and stared at the cream-colored walls. "I guess it's possible he could try, but I'm not sure he could succeed. Jim Kirk has a lot of friends in Starfleet. He's almost a legend in some circles . . . getting enough of the mukity mucks to agree he shouldn't have command wouldn't be easy. Especially over something as stupid as shipping contracts."

Jamie wasn't sure if that was yes or no. "He sure sounded awful mad."

Dr. McCoy laughed. "I'll bet. He probably never expected to lose the commission on six months of shipping. Jim sure pulled that over on him. Well, no rest for the wicked . . . better get back to the grind."

That was something else Jamie didn't understand. "Can't I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"How come Daddy did something if he knew it would make the ambassador mad?" _What were those words again_? "Daddy said it was because of stenuating circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances."

"What are those?"

"It's like something that changes a situation. You do something you'd never do because something more important is at stake. Jim knew that giving free shipping to Mavaro would rile the Ambassador, but he had to do it."

"Why?" Jamie wrinkled her nose in puzzlement.

Sighing, Dr. McCoy reached across the table and patted her hand. "He did it for you, Jamie, to get you out of the prison." In a simple, quiet voice, he explained how that mean old King Hescate meant to keep her in his jail. Forever. Jamie hadn't known that. That Daddy had to give him something he wanted - like free shipping - so he'd let Jamie go. "You were the extenuating circumstance. Even if it made the Ambassador and all of Starfleet madder than a wet hen, he'd have done it again if it was the only way to get you back here."

"But . . ." Jamie's throat ached like she might cry and little prickles pinched the corners of her eyes. Maybe Daddy truly did love her more than his ship. "Daddy might lose the _Enterprise_ because of me. That old Ambassador said. Daddy loves the _Enterprise _almost more than anything."

"He loves you more."

The words made her feel worse instead of better. Even though Jamie wasn't sure she liked the _Enterprise_ all that much and she'd rather be on Earth, she didn't want to be the reason Daddy lost his ship. That just would not be good at all. "I wouldn't want Daddy to lose his ship," she said in a small voice.

Dr. McCoy patted her head as he got up and said in a voice that sounded too hearty and pretend. "Now don't you worry about that. Your daddy has a way of landing on his feet."

It was meant to be comforting, but Jamie still felt like crying. She couldn't stop worrying either. There had to be a way to change that Ambassador's mind so he wouldn't go back to Starfleet causing trouble. There had to be a way.

#####

"Status on the investigation, Mr. Harrison?" Jim asked the head of Security over the com. "Anything to report?"

"Negative, Captain. We're going through everyone's credit reports now, searching for any financial discrepancies. The only red flag we've found is that your daughter's nanny transferred a large amount of credits to the shuttle pilot, Varoom."

_Nanny Banks? _

"Could she have been in collusion with whomever took Jamie?"

"Negative, Sir. It would have been impossible for to injure herself and she has no motive. Everything in our investigation shows that she's above reproach. Her references are impeccable and there's been no suggestion that points to her as the kidnapper."

Almost to himself, Jim said, "Except for a bunch of credits hidden off planet."

The Security chief responded as if Jim required an answer. "It's possible so we aren't ruling her out totally, but as far as our investigation goes right now, it wasn't her. Also there is the fact that she was in Sickbay, incapacitated when Jamie was returned to the Children's Deck. Unless she was working with a partner . . . there's no way she could have done it."

"Did she give you an explanation about the credits?"

"No, sir, she can't remember. Dr. McCoy says it's likely she's telling the truth on that. Some parts of her memory will have to recover slowly."

"What about Varoom? Did you ask him?"

"We've interviewed him too. He readily admitted she'd transferred credits to his account. Says they were hoping to eventually be married and were combining accounts."

Jim's brow furrowed and he said to no one in particular, "Odd. I thought I heard rumors about Varoom and one of the Lt. in Engineering."

"Unsubstantiated, sir," Harrison said with his crisp, secret agent voice. "We also questioned Nanny Banks who admitted that the two of them were serious about each other. She can't remember details about the credits."

"Very well, carry on. Let me know as soon as you know anything. Kirk out."

Frustrating. As he had several other times that day, he pressed the button and opened communication with Sickbay. Jamie was fine, Nurse John reported, eating a late lunch with Dr. McCoy. He also checked in with the Security team he'd assigned to keep an eye on Jamie. No one other than authorized personnel had gone anywhere near Jamie or Sickbay. For the moment things were calm - on the outside. Inside, Jim Kirk was a mass of emotions churning almost out of control. Someone had taken his daughter, stolen a lot of his credits and returned her. He was determined to find out who.

######

It had been a long, boring day. Mostly. Jamie yawned and quickly hid it behind her hand. If Yeoman Barrows thought she was tired, she might insist that Jamie go to bed. Although she tried not to be afraid of most things - except for lightning and Venus rats - Jamie didn't want to admit she was terrified of going to bed. What if Yeoman Barrows left her in bed and the elephant man came back? Tonight, she wouldn't be sitting on Daddy's lap, safe and snug in his arms. She'd be all alone without Nanny Banks or Daddy. Every time she thought of it, Jamie got a scared, sick feeling in her stomach and icy chills on the back of her arms. She wished she could think of a way to stay awake all night.

At first, she thought maybe she could pretend she was sick. Then Dr. Mc Coy would have to keep her in Sickbay. That wouldn't be too bad. Nanny was there as well as the men who'd gotten burnt on the Children's Deck. If the elephant man came back, someone would surely holler. Wouldn't they? But no one would believe she was sick so that was a lost excuse.

"Come, Jamie," Yeoman Barrows said after supper. "The Captain said you should get into bed early tonight. You've had a rough couple of days."

"I'm not sleepy," she tried not to yawn but it happened anyway.

The Yeoman laughed which changed her usual sour expression. Her brown eyes twinkled like she might be laughing. Jamie didn't like being laughed at. "It doesn't look like it. Come along, you're dawdling."

So, Jamie followed but she let her feet drag the least little bit. Anything to slow down when she'd have to get into that scary bed. "Will you leave the night light on?" She asked, wanting that understood right away. No way was she sleeping there in the dark.

"Um," Yeoman Barrows murmured stepping into the turbo lift. "Officer's Deck."

As usual the lift was too fast. It didn't take half a second to walk down the brown tiled corridor. Jamie's heart went thump, thump, thump so loud her ears pulsed. Then, to her surprise they walked past her quarters.

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to bed."

The Yeoman stopped in front of Daddy's quarters, put her hand on the enter pad and stated, "Barrows." The door slid open and she turned, annoyed that Jamie wasn't following her.

Jamie stood by her own door confused. "How come we're going in there?"

"The Captain said to put you in his bed tonight. He doesn't want you sleeping alone in your quarters until the kidnapper is caught or Nanny Banks is back."

"Oh." Jamie didn't mind sleeping in Daddy's quarters - even if she had to have old Yeoman Barrows babysitting. But, it would be much nicer if Daddy planned to come himself.

As soon as they got inside, Jamie saw that someone had packed a little bag for her and left it on the desk. Yeoman Barrows pulled the purple nightgown, a toothbrush and even the soft, squishy pillow Jamie liked to sleep with. Gramma's quilt was folded at the foot of Daddy's big bed. So, maybe it wouldn't be too bad sleeping in here, Jamie thought, still sad because she wished Daddy would come. Maybe she could ask him about the Ambassador.

"Hurry up and get in bed," the yeoman scolded. "You should be asleep before your father gets here. I'm not going to be responsible for not obeying his orders."

"Daddy's coming?"

The Yeoman got a funny look on her face. "Of course, this is where he sleeps. Did you think he never leaves the bridge?"

It was a stupid question, so Jamie didn't answer it. She did not like grownups who acted like she was so dumb she didn't know something simple. As she got ready for bed, then climbed in Daddy's big, soft bed, Jamie didn't say anything else to Yeoman Barrows.

Baxter said being silent drove the grownups nuts. Since Jamie didn't like the yeoman, she didn't care if she drove her nuts or not.

"Good night," the yeoman said, turning the lights low and going to sit in a molded chair by the reading light. She took a Kindle 2250 out of her carry bag and started to read something on it.

"Um," Jamie murmured, just in case Daddy was listening in and would think she was being rude on purpose. _I am but I don't want him to know that._

Jamie planned to stay awake until Daddy came. She wanted him to tell her that he wasn't going to lose the _Enterprise _because of her. But the harder she tried to stay awake, the sleepier she got. Once she jolted awake and saw Yeoman Barrows nodding over her Kindle. The next time she woke it was to an almost dark room and no yeoman. Jamie sat up, more frightened than she'd ever been before. Suddenly, she heard a funny cough and realized the bed was a lot warmer and more crowded than it had been before.

"Daddy?"

"S'okay," he mumbled half asleep. "Night."

The rapid beating of Jamie's heart slowed, and she snuggled down against Daddy's broad back. Everything was okay for right now . . . but in the morning, she was going to ask more questions and find out the truth. If that Ambassador McCale meant what he hollered, then Jamie planned to do something about it.


	13. Chapter 13

Jamie woke up with a smile on her face so big it made her cheeks hurt. Stretching under her quilt, she turned over to wake Daddy. It was going to be so much fun - just like yesterday when he made breakfast for her. Today Jamie hoped he would know how to cook pancakes - which were her very favorite things to eat. Maybe he would let her come to the bridge again. This might be the best day ever on the _Enterprise._

To her surprise, the big bed was empty except for her. Daddy's pillow was cold like maybe he'd been awake for a long time. Jamie's smile turned down a little. Where was he? Then she heard a noise coming from the head and figured he was probably taking his shower. The door began to swoosh open and Jamie quickly hid under her quilt. When she heard footsteps coming toward the bed, she jumped out and yelled, "Boo!"

Yeoman Barrows gave a little screech and jumped back. "What are you doing?"

The giggles died on Jamie's lips and her smile turned upside down. _What is she doing here? I was hiding from Daddy and then I wanted to scare him. _Suddenly, Jamie's face froze in her I-don't-care one and she knew that this morning would not be like yesterday.

"What were you doing, Jamie?"

"Nothing."

"Well, since you're awake, get up and get dressed. My instructions were to drop you off at Sickbay. Nanny Banks is being released this morning and you're to show her back to your quarters. After lunch, she will take you on to the Learning Center."

There were several things wrong with those instructions that Jamie could see. She didn't want to go in her quarters without Daddy and she didn't want to go back to school.

But there wasn't much she could do with old Yeoman Barrows staring at her.

"Where's my daddy?"

"The Captain has been up for hours and on the bridge." The Yeoman sighed as if she wished she were on the bridge too. "I'll be glad when your nanny takes over. Hurry and get dressed. Then I'll replicate some food for you."

So there went the pancakes. Jamie had eaten pancakes from the food selector - once. Nobody would eat those cardboard disks a second time.

She felt like crying. Sitting down right on the floor and just crying and crying until Yeoman Barrows got worried and called Daddy. But most likely, he wouldn't come anyway. Maybe he was already on the bridge getting hollered at by the Ambassador and losing his ship because of her. The thought twisted Jamie's stomach into a gigantic knot and she knew she wouldn't be able to eat - not even real pancakes. She knew she shouldn't be disappointed because the day had started out so awful._ Daddy's a starship captain. This is how it always is. Probably I shouldn't have hoped it could be like it was on Earth when Daddy played Fizzbin and went camping. _Jamie knew this was how life was supposed to be on the ship, but she wished she didn't have to believe it.

#######

Nanny Banks remembered the way back to their quarters fine. In fact, she remembered quite a lot - including the fact that Jamie was supposed to go to learning center after lunch.

_Slime devils!_

"I wish I could remember what happened that night," Nanny Banks said as they opened the door and stepped inside.

Taking a deep breath, Jamie stepped close behind her. Everything looked the same as always and there were no elephant men hiding in the closet or under her bed. Even though Dr. McCoy had taken the time to explain to her that she didn't need to be afraid, Jamie couldn't stop the funny way her legs trembled or her tummy turned upside down.

Right before she left Sickbay with Nanny Banks, Jamie had told Dr. McCoy she wished she didn't have to go back to her room. He didn't get mad or pretend tell her everything would be okay, to go along and be a good girl. Instead, he hunched down so he could look her right in the eyes and explained how the Security team had looked in her room and how they would be right around all the time until the bad person got caught. If she just made a little peep, someone from Security would be there right away. It helped for awhile, until Jamie wondered why no one had come this morning when she yelled _boo_ to Yeoman Barrows. But, by then she was already on her way with Nanny Banks and there was no way to ask that question. But surely, Dr. McCoy wouldn't let her go back if someone might take her again. Would he?

Nanny Banks let Jamie build another puzzle while she walked around the quarters trying to remember things.

_Only a few more puzzles to go until I get my stuffed Tribble. _It wouldn't be real or warm - not like being able to sleep with Daddy, but it would be a friend. Jamie blinked back tears and told herself a stuffed animal would have to do. For some reason she sure missed Gramma a lot more today.

It didn't seem like any time at all until Nanny said it was time for middle meal . . .only she said _lunch_ just like Jamie wished she would.

"Aren't you hungry?" Nanny Banks asked as Jamie pushed the meatloaf around on her plate. It was a very nice meatloaf, just like Gramma used to make, but Jamie's throat had swollen shut and she could only nibble. "Did you eat too much breakfast?"

"No." Because Nanny was watching, Jamie tried to nibble a little more until her throat closed up and she couldn't swallow another bite. She dreaded going back to the learning center, to facing Centauri. Even though the older girl had gotten to go to Disney Mavaro, Jamie knew that Centauri would have something else to pick at her about. It's how bullies were - just like Avi on Earth.

Trying not to cry, Jamie bit the corner of her quivering lip and blinked hard. She wished she had a daddy like other little girls - one she could run to and tell her troubles. But her daddy was way off on the bridge and maybe he didn't care that Centauri made the little children cry. Maybe all he really did care about was the _Enterprise_, no matter what Dr. McCoy said.

########

Varoom was feeling pretty good. Even though he'd been relieved of his duties until they left Mavaro, he had no problems. He'd managed to get those sharks on Mavaro paid off - thanks to the Captain's credits - and he still had plenty more in store. So many, in fact, that he wished he could go try his hand at more of the gaming tables before they left the planet. But, he knew that was out of the question. Better not risk getting caught . . . So far Security believed he'd had sweet Caro transfer her credits to his account so they could get married. Ha, like that would ever happen!

He leaned back on his bunk, grinning at the tiles on the ceiling. Life was good. He'd paid his debts without being sent to the Mavaro Prison, he had enough for plenty of rainy days, he'd snatched the Captain's kid and returned her without anyone the wiser. It just proved what you could accomplish when you had so called hidden talents.

"Thanks old man," he chuckled at the empty air, glad his father had insisted he attend the Science Center to study computer technology before he'd sign his entry into Starfleet. "Even a flyer needs another skill," the old man had carped. Thankfully, Varoom was a whiz at computers - oh, not the normal garbage they taught - but the different ways to erase or cover information. He'd made a tidy nest egg as a student by changing grades and helping those not as intelligent pass with honors. It was a skill that came in handy many times.

Now it was helping him. No one on board the _Enterprise_ could tie him to the brat's kidnapping. He'd erased his DNA print from every part of it. Even old Caro's brain with the memory blocker.

The com button shrilled and startled him. What the devil? He began to sweat, beads of fear popping out along his forehead. "Varoom, here."

"Varoom, you're requested to be ready to shuttle Ambassador McCale from Mavaro to the Enterprise in 0400 hours." Lt. Uhura's voice commanded.

"I'm confined to quarters," he reminded her, his heart slowing back to normal, his breath still a trace panicked. _What am I worrying about? No one will ever know the Captain's kid was hidden in the shuttle while they searched. _"Captain's orders until we leave orbit around Mavaro. Get O'Flynn or Quez."

"The Captain has waived that order for the time being. Ambassador McCale has asked for you instead of Lt. O'Flynn. Please proceed to the shuttle deck at once."

Go figure. Officers and Ambassador's were all a bunch of hot air if you asked him. Varoom was getting slightly bored looking at four walls anyway. He was happiest out among the stars. "On my way."

########

"Jamie, I' m so glad to see you back," Teacher welcomed her back to Learning Center. Jamie tried to smile but it wobbled into a small frown. She'd just noticed Centauri giving her a mean, mean look from inside the classroom. "Go on in and take your seat. I want to speak to your nanny for a minute."

Jamie started into the room but then stopped near the resource wall where there were old fashioned books and maps. She pretended to look at the globe, staring hard at Iowa. _I wished I was home right now. _Looking over her shoulder, she saw Centauri whispering something to Peter and Tina. Tina's orangish eyes widened as she stared hard at Jamie, but Peter shrugged and went back to his book. _Wonder what she said about me?_

Rightoutside the classroom door, Jamie could hear nanny and teacher talking. She didn't mean to listen but then she heard her name. _They were talking about her too? Was everybody on the ship talking about it?_

"For Jamie's sake," Nanny was saying, "I wish I could remember what happened. The Captain hasn't been angry with me, but I know he wants to find the person who did this."

"I know," teacher agreed, "he's actually put off my disciplinary hearing until things are more settled. He apologized for being so pompous and said that he knew I'd been doing my best under the circumstances."

"That's good news."

Teacher signed.

Peeking around the edge of the door Jamie saw the teacher give a tired smile and rub her forehead like her head hurt. "Maybe. Although if the rumors I heard today are true, the Children in Space program may fizzle out anyway."

"What rumors?"

"Oh didn't you hear about the Captain being in trouble with the Ambassador?" Nanny didn't remember so teacher told her about the free shipping rights. Again Jamie had a funny feeling in her stomach. "Then today, Lt. Uhura heard that the Ambassador has gotten three other higher ups in Starfleet who didn't like the Children in Space Program either to say the captain should be held responsible for this. They are saying he should lose command of the ship."

"No"

"Oh, yes."

"That's awful The captain only did it to get his daughter back. Who can argue with that?"

Teacher signed again - "You know some of those old fogies in Starfleet - they're idiots and would do anything to stop the program. they are so old school but you shouldn't worry, you'd have a position anyway as Jamie's nanny. He can't send her back until her grandmother comes to earth."

"Well," Nanny's voice got low as if she didn't want anyone to hear. "Dr. Chapel was saying that the Captain is thinking of sending Jamie to live with her other grandparents."

_No - not them! I'll run away first. _Jamie thought of Grandma and Grandpa Miller. Grandma could barely look at Jamie without crying and saying, "She looks so much like my beautiful Diana. I can hardly stand it." It sure didn't make Jamie feel too welcome at their house. Then Grandpa never missed a chance to say something bad about Daddy. Not that Jamie didn't agree with some of the things he said - like how Daddy was always gone and he should be around Jamie more. But after awhile, Grandpa's sour words and his stern face made Jamie wish she could go home. Living with them would be awful . . . worse even than staying on the _Enterprise._

"Is he really? I was under the impression they resent the captain because their daughter. . ."

Just then Centauri came up, grabbed Jamie roughly by the arm and with a smile in teacher's direction, dragged Jamie toward the back of the class. "All right you! I just want to warn you that you better not say anything about me an' Javik letting you get on that shuttle."

"You leave me alone."

"Or what? You'll tattle.

"No, I . . ." Jamie remembered Avi on Earth and tried the idea on Centauri, "I'm part Vulcan. If you don't stop bothering me, I'll give you a Vulcan pinch. When you fall down, I'll draw all over your face with markers. The permanent ones. I'll make you look like a clown."

Javik chuckled but not in a mean way. "I would like to see this."

Centauri frowned and punched him on the arm. "You aren't half Vulcan - your parents were both human. The Captain's from Iowa and even though your mother was born on Regelius, she had human parents. Anybody can read that in the records."

"No she didn't. I'm half-Vulcan." Jamie repeated although she knew the olders didn't believe her.

"This is not true," Javik said taking Centauri's side. "You should be proud of your human heritage. The Captain is almost a legend in Starfleet. And your mother was a great historian until her tragic . . ."

"Ha!" Centauri gave a snort and stared at Jamie like she was a germ in one of Dr. McCoy's microscopes. "Proud? What's she got to be proud about? I don't know how anyone can be proud of having a father like _him. _ If my father had let my mother be captured and taken away . . . I'd never speak to him again."

"Captured?" Jamie didn't know what Centauri meant. No one had ever told her much about her mother.

Centauri's eyes widened and her lips twisted in a wicked smile. "You don't know, do you? I guess the wonderful Captain Kirk didn't want you to know. He's trying to hide the truth about your mother. Well, let me tell you. . ."

"All right everyone," Teacher interrupted whatever Centauri planned to say. "Let's all take our seats. Jamie, you come sit near me and we'll go over some of the lessons you missed."

So Jamie couldn't even find out what Centauri meant.

########

At their afternoon recess, Jamie heard more troublesome information from Baxter. "That Ambassador who's trying to cause trouble for us is coming back today," Baxter said with a somber face. "Uncle Scotty says he just better not kill the Children in Space program or else." Baxter broke a granola bar in half and shared part with Jamie. "If he does, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go. Got no one else to live with now."

"I'm not sure where I'd go either," Jamie said, shuddering when she remembered what Nanny had said about living with her other grandparents. _I won't do it. I'll go back to the farm and hide so no one will ever find me._ "It's all my fault that Ambassador's mad, if Daddy hadn't got me out of that jail . . ."

Baxter shrugged and kept chewing. Once he swallowed he said, "Well, you can't go back an' change anything. That's what Uncle Scotty said. Besides, there's a lot of people in Starfleet who didn't want kids on starships in the first place. If it wasn't about the free shipping, it would be about something else. I just hope the Captain can talk him out of bein' mad."

"What if someone explained to the Ambassador? About why Daddy gave that King the free shipping?" Jamie asked as an idea started to form in her mind. "Maybe he doesn't know why."

"Don't know. I sure won't talk to him again. He came down to inspect the Engineering rooms and I just asked if he wanted me to show him my jobs. He hollered and said something mean about kids."

Jamie didn't have any great desire to talk to the hollering Ambassador either . . . but if she could help Daddy, she would. Even though she still didn't like living on the _Enterprise _all that much, she got to be with Daddy. Being with him was a hundred times better than having to live with Mama's parents. Sometimes it was even fun - like having Daddy cook breakfast for her. "What time will the Ambassador get here?"

"Uncle Scotty said O400 is when Varoom is going to shuttle him over here from the planet. So a little bit after that. I'm not supposed to be anywhere near the shuttle deck when he comes. You better not be either, Jamie. He don't like kids."

"Um . . ." Jamie said with her mouth full of granola bar. _If I went with Nanny maybe I could just explain. It wouldn't be right for Daddy to lose his ship because of me._

_Besides, kids like Baxter wouldn't have anywhere to live. I've got to try._


	14. Chapter 14

Getting Nanny Banks to agree to visit the shuttle deck proved harder than Jamie thought. As soon as Learning Center was over, Jamie grabbed Nanny's hand and told her the story she'd invented while she sat over the boring math assignment.

"We have to go to the shuttle deck," Jamie insisted, "to say hello to Ambassador McCale. He's coming over from the planet."

"The Ambassador?" Nanny got a puzzled look on her face. "But why? I thought he was angry at the Captain . . . in fact, someone said something about him wanting to get rid of the Children in Space program. We'd better stay away from there. Don't you want to go to the holo deck instead?"

Jamie shook her head. Okay, so this was not going to be easy. "No, we have to go to the shuttle deck. Don't you remember?" It was wrong to pretend like Nanny had forgotten, but Jamie couldn't think of any other way to get her to come.

"Remember what?"

"About Varoom . . ." Jamie mumbled something and kept walking fast to the turbo lift. Nanny had no choice but to follow in a hurry.

"Jamie! Stop right there and tell me what I need to remember. I don't think we should be going to the shuttle deck. I'm sure I haven't forgotten that the Ambassador doesn't like children . . . Jamie!"

Stepping into the turbo, Jamie pressed her hand on the padd and announced, "Shuttle Deck." The doors whooshed closed on Nanny's protests. Jamie had no doubt that Nanny would be right behind her. _I'll just get to the Ambassador first._

The turbo let her off at the shuttle deck and she could see by all the green lights and people rushing here and there that Varoom's shuttle had just landed and been cleared. So, she was still in time. Not thinking about how wrong it might be, she hid herself behind a pile of cargo waiting to be shipped down to the planet and watched. As soon as the Ambassador walked by, she planned to jump out and tell him not to take Daddy's ship. He might not listen, but she had to try.

Jamie hid for a few minutes. Long enough to see Nanny arrive, all out of breath and fuming mad, hissing as she searched the corridor along past the turbo lift. "Jamie? Come here at once. Jamie!"

Jamie thought about coming out, begging Nanny to let her talk to the Ambassador, but then decided not to_. I have to wait for him. It's important to Daddy. _For another few minutes nothing seemed to happen. The shuttle deck workers walked by talking and joking, then here came the Ambassador. Jamie's throat swelled tight and she couldn't get any words out. His face looked mean as a Denuvian dragon - the kind that spit fire. His gray brows were pointed over his nose and his lips were pressed as tight as an airlock. Suddenly, she didn't know if she could talk to him. Her heartbeat like fists inside pounding to get out and disappointed, she sat back on her heels. _I want to help Daddy . . . but I'm too scared._

Then a couple of things happened all at once. Nanny Banks stepped into Jamie's hiding place, grabbed the sleeve of her blue dress and hissed, "I've got you! Now, let's get out of here."

As they stepped out, Varoom came around the corner, whistling and in a jolly mood. "Caro? What are you doing here?" His face lost its smile and his forehead wrinkled like he might be worried.

Before Nanny could answer, the Ambassador came striding back, his face red and his dark eyes bugging out of his head. Right away his voice boomed out and his hollers echoed along the shuttle deck. "What is going on here, Lt. Varoom? I'm waiting to be escorted . . ."

He never finished.

Jamie didn't mean to be rude and interrupt, but she'd just seen something so scary the words spilled out before she could stop them. "It was you." She tugged on Nanny's arm and whispered, "It was him."

Jamie stared at the back of Varoom's pant leg with the white paint stain. The stain she'd seen hanging upside down while he carried her into the Children's deck. "It was him. Varoom. He took me." An echoing clang from somewhere in the shuttle deck reminded her of that other sound, the one she heard when she'd first been taken from her bed by the elephant man. "He took me and brought me . . . here. I remember the sound."

"What are you babbling about, child?" The Ambassador yelled. "I demand to see the Captain at once! I've been in communication with Starfleet about stopping this ridiculous nonsense. Children on starships! It can lead to nothing but troub . . . what are you doing?"

Varoom had pulled a phaser and motioned them all back toward the air lock. "Into the shuttle. Now!"

"Of all the . . . what is the meaning of this," the Ambassador sputtered.

"Do it!" Varoom ordered as he held the phaser straight to the Ambassador's head. Even Jamie could see it was set to kill. "Unless you want me to vaporize you right here."

For once the Ambassador shut up and obeyed. He was the first into the shuttle, followed by Nanny and Jamie. Varoom hurried behind them and pulled the door shut with a metallic clang.

From outside, another crew member called, "Hey, Varoom! What's going on? What are you doing?"

Nanny squeezed Jamie's hand tight and whispered, "Do as he says, everything will be all right."

_Will it_? Jamie had never been so scared in all her life.

#####

"Has the Ambassador's shuttle arrived yet, Uhura?" Jim Kirk asked around a yawn. This had been one of the longest days he'd spent orbiting Mavaro so far. Even longer than the hours he'd struggled to get Jamie out of the prison. Messages from Starfleet had zoomed back and forth, been caught in some type of interference and arrived on the bridge garbled. So far all he knew was that Uhura had intercepted messages from some of the top brass at the Federation Council. What they said was anyone's guess. Some of the tech crew were working to fix the problem but weren't having much success. If he was about to lose the _Enterprise_, ignorance was bliss.

"Yes, Captain, about five minutes ago."

"Very well. Let me know when he's on his way to the bridge."

"Yes, sir."

Settling back in the command chair, Jim sighed and massaged his aching forehead with his hand. This planet had given him more headaches than he'd had on his first five-year mission. Or was it just dealing with Ambassador McCale - an aging, dictatorial Starfleet fixture? It might have been better to face the angry Ambassador face to face as he stepped out of the shuttle. But, Jim well knew McCale's rather odd ideas about interrupting the crew's work for what he called "Pomp and Timewasters." McCale insisted that his shuttle not be met by any officers on arrival, nor accompanied on departure. Personally, most of the officers on the _Enterprise_ and other ships in the fleet thought this gave the Ambassador an unfair advantage to snoop.

"Captain Kirk!" Something in Uhura's voice alerted him to trouble.

_Not more trouble._

He swiveled around in the chair, braced himself, and faced the lieutenant. "What?"

"Sir, I don't understand this at all. The _Apollo_ arrived but I'm getting reports that it's getting ready to leave the shuttle deck again. In fact," she pressed the communication nodule to her ear with a puzzled look on her face. "I'm getting reports from Security as well. Something's happened in the shuttle deck. Captain, Varoom has taken . . . hostages."

In an instant he was out of the chair and striding toward the turbo. "I'm on my way. Mr. Spock please accompany me. Mr. Sulu you have the com."

#######

The scene on the shuttle deck was minor chaos. The Security team assigned to protect Jamie were arguing with two of the shuttle deck workers. The _Apollo_ \- the shuttle Varoom had used to ferry the Ambassador - was still in the shuttle deck, doors locked but warmed and ready to go. Thankfully the outside shuttle doors were still locked. It gave them a minor advantage, but Jim wasn't sure it would amount to much. If Varoom were determined to leave, there was nothing to stop him.

"What's going on here?" Jim demanded.

Security - Ferguson and Maria Grasias - began to speak at once. At the same time two of the shuttle crew, O'Flynn and a beginner named V-7 were also trying to be heard. Jim caught a word here and there before ordering silence. The arguing voices stilled at his command.

"Maria, explain."

"Its Lt. Varoom, sir. He's taken the Ambassador, Nanny Banks and . . ." she hesitated, and her lips quivered, "your daughter. He refuses to come out and insists that the shuttle release doors be opened. He's given us ten minutes to decide. If not, he plans to kill the Ambassador. The Nanny has confirmed that his phaser is set to kill."

_Not Jamie . . . again_! "How did my daughter get involved in this? Weren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on her?"

"Yes, sir," Maria answered before Ferguson jumped in with, "We tried. She . . . got away from us."

"You didn't try good enough, mister! No children are allowed on the shuttle deck. How'd she get down here in the first place? You know that. . ." He might have gone on and on if Spock hadn't stepped behind him and in a quiet voice brought him back to the task at hand.

"Captain, perhaps all this can wait? Until after we ascertain what Mr. Varoom's demands are and how to resolve this current situation."

Jim took a deep breath and managed a slight smile for his first office. "Thanks, Spock. All right. Does anyone care to tell me what happened? Why has Varoom taken hostages?"

O'Flynn knew that one. "I think it's because he's the one who hid your daughter and demanded credits."

"Go on. Tell me everything you know."

The story O'Flynn told was simple. He'd been checking cargo to go back to Mavaro when he saw Varoom's shuttle arrive. The Ambassador stepped out and started for the turbo. At the same time, O'Flynn saw the Nanny pull Jamie from a hiding place behind some crates. Varoom came up about then and started talking to them. "The next thing I knew, Jamie was accusing Varoom of being the one who snatched her. He got real scared then and pulled a phaser. I was coming up to try to stop him when he ordered everyone back into the shuttle. By the time I got here, he'd locked the doors."

"Has anyone been in communication with him?"

Ferguson nodded. "We used ship to shuttle communication. He didn't say much, only that we had fifteen minutes to open the release doors and let him leave. He gave orders that we were to let him get to the planet, no tractor beam, no communication, or he'd start eliminating hostages."

"Open communications," Jim ordered going to a com station in the wall. "Varoom. This is the Captain. What do you think you're doing, Mister? I want my daughter and the others released at once."

From the shuttle Varoom's voice came over loud and clear. In the background Jim could hear a sniffle from Jamie and the Nanny's quiet whispers_. Oh, Jamie, how'd I let this happen to you again? "_Not a chance, Captain_. _Guess you know by now that I'm the one who snatched your kid. I know the Federation's statutes for kidnapping - no way am I spending the rest of my life on a prison planet chipping slag."

"Then what do you intend to do?"

"Let me leave with the shuttle. I'll take it to Mavaro and drop everyone there. As soon as I've escaped, you can pick them up safe and sound."

"That's not a good plan to me." Jim didn't know what a good plan was, but he knew that allowing Varoom to leave would lengthen the odds of getting Jamie back safe. "Why not turn yourself in now. I'll vouch that you cooperated . . ."

"No! Release this shuttle now or someone's going to die! You have about five minutes." With that Varoom slammed off communications.

Jim turned to the people standing near him. "Ideas? Suggestions? Anyone?"

"It would seem that you have no choice, Captain," Spock said. "Mr. Varoom's mental state seems quite . . . unpredictable. If he were to fire a phaser inside the shuttle, it's possible that it would hit not only his intended target but something or someone else."

"Yes, but what's to guarantee he'd let the hostages go when he arrives on Mavaro? What's to say he's even going there?"

Ferguson spoke up, trying to redeem himself. "It is possible he could go to one of Mavaro's moons - there are 45 with habitation. If he lost himself on one of those, chances are he'd get away. What he'd do with the hostages though, I couldn't guess. There are several possibilities."

The pounding in his head had gotten worse, but Jim knew he had to make the right decision. Not only for Jamie but for the Ambassador and Nanny.

"Anyone else? Opinions?"

"It would seem wise to allow him to leave," Maria said.

O'Flynn agreed. "He can't get that far in the shuttle before running out of fuel," O'Flynn said. "He's going to have to land on either Mavaro or one of the moons. We can track him easily with the GPS in the shuttle. Maybe if he thinks he's getting away, he will be less likely to . . ."

No one had to spell out the worst-case scenario. "Open the release doors. Let him go."

_I hope this is the right decision._

_#######_

Varoom grinned in satisfaction as the _Enterprise_ crew opened the shuttle release doors and allowed him to leave. _So far, so good. _He had no real plan in mind except to get away. There were plenty of dark holes on Mavaro where a man could lose himself and hide indefinitely. But he wasn't sure he'd stay on the planet. With all the muckety muck higher ups at Starfleet working to establish good relations with the King, it might be in Varoom's best interests to hop the first alien ship going to galaxies unknown. He'd decide that later. Right now, he had to get the shuttle to the planet without interference and ditch the three albatrosses around his neck.

"I demand you release us at once!" Ambassador McCale commanded, red-faced and hotter than a Venusians volcano. In fact, the Ambassador looked ready to explode any second.

"Shut up!" Varoom waved the phaser in front of the Ambassador's fire-breathing mouth. "Keep quiet or you won't get out at Mavaro."

He sat down in the control chair and piloted them out of the shuttle deck and into space. Hearing movement behind him, he turned and stared hard at the hostages. This was not going to work. Somehow, he needed to control them or one of them might jump him while he was piloting. One glance at Sweet Caro told him she'd like to crack his skull as wide as he'd cracked hers. No, this was not a good situation. Jittery, he managed to get away from the _Enterprise_ and set the course to Mavaro. Once certain they were on a straight setting, he slid the Auto Pilot lever into On and stood up.

"You!" He pointed at the Captain's kid, sniffing back tears but darned mad. Blue eyes like lasers drilled into him and let Varoom know just what she thought of him. Even his command didn't cower her. "Find me some rope in the supply closet."

"No." Jamie answered.

"Leave her alone," Caroline interjected, pulling the brat closer to her. "We aren't going to do anything you say."

"Aren't you?" He walked close enough to stare into her eyes and saw fear. "I need old Ambassador here tied up so you better get that into your thick skull. If you and the kid can behave, I'll let you sit quietly, and you won't get hurt. But, if you don't obey me now, I'll tie the both of you up too. So, what's it gonna be?"

"You're a . . . you're worse than . . ." Caroline couldn't seem to think of an insult good enough to call him. The words spewed out and sputtered as she tried to think of something horrible. He could see it in her eyes. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind and went for the jugular. "You stole my credits and lied to me! You're a Denebian slime devil . . . no, you're worse than that!"

"Oh, no, the shame!" Feigning horror, he threw a hand to his forehead like an old-fashioned silent film heroine. "You cut me to the quick, Sweet Caro."

"Don't you ever, ever call me that again."

"Aw, don't be like that, Sweet Caro." He reached out and rubbed a hand along the sleeve of her pink velour pullover. "And to think, we were once thought of as a couple."

"You stole my credits and lied to me!" She repeated. "And the rumors about you and that girl in Engineering are probably true too. I don't know how I ever got mixed up with you! You're a fiend!"

He laughed which seemed to make her madder. "You were desperate. Desperation does strange things sometimes. Or didn't they ever teach you that proverb on Venus?"

This time she reached out and tried to slap him but Varoom caught her hand before it could reach his face. "Don't you ever try that again. Now tell the kid to get the rope, because I'm going to tie the Ambassador up and then you're next." For emphasis, he twisted her wrist just enough to hurt.

Caroline cried out and seemed to wilt at the pain, but surprisingly she got one last jab in. "If I had a Klingon blackjack, I'd hit you in the head just like you did me. I'd hit you so hard . . ."

"Tell the kid to get the rope!"

As her face paled from the pain he inflicted on her wrist, Caroline whispered, "Jamie, do as he says."


	15. Chapter 15

Jamie had watched the whole conversation between Nanny and Varoom. When Varoom grabbed Nanny's wrist and started to twist, Jamie's eyes filled with tears of sympathy. It looked like it hurt. A lot. Nanny's face got all white and she looked like she might fall over. When Varoom let her go, Nanny stumbled to a chair and sat on the edge, she bent her head forward in her lap and took shallow breaths. Jamie had thought she was scared when Varoom pulled out the phaser, but now she was even more scared.

_Where are you, Daddy? Why did you let him take the shuttle off the ship?_

Inside the _Apollo, _Jamie had heard Daddy's voice give the command. Right then her heart plopped to the tips of her toes. If they left the _Enterprise, _how could Daddy rescue her? Jamie wanted to just hide somewhere and cry, but she knew she couldn't. Baxter always said if you were in a tough situation you had to look around and figure a way out. Jamie had learned a lot from Baxter since he came aboard the Enterprise, but she wasn't sure what even he would do in this situation.

"Get the rope!" Varoom hollered again.

Trembling all over, Jamie walked over to the supply closet and opened the door. _What can I do? What can I do? _If Varoom tied up everyone but her, then she had to be ready to help the Ambassador and Nanny, but how? A loop of stout hemp rope hung on one of the hooks in the closet. It looked a little higher than she could reach, but Jamie pulled a stepstool closer and managed to pull it down. As she stepped down, her feet knocked over a toolbox. The loud clangs and clatters made Varoom angrier.

"What the devil! Can't you do anything right?" He stomped toward her, his phaser in one hand and grabbed the rope from her hands. "Pick that stuff up and put it away."

Jamie drew a shaky breath and swallowed down the peanut butter sandwich from snack that kept wanting to come back up. Frozen in place, she watched Varoom throw the rope at Nanny and order her to tie up the Ambassador. The Ambassador spewed and spilled more angry words a few minutes. Then Varoom held the phaser in his face and he quieted right down. Although Jamie had no great love for Ambassador McCale, trying to take Daddy's ship away from him and causing so much trouble, she knew how he felt. Scared spitless as Baxter might say. Her own mouth was as dry as space dust.

Bending down, Jamie righted the toolbox with a lot of pushing and shoving. It was heavy, weighed down with gravity rings to keep it stuck to the closet floor even in space. It took her a few minutes to figure out that she had to take everything out first and then it was a lot easier to put things back in. There were the usual tools, hammer, wrenches, plastic ties, shuttle parts that might need fixing. Jamie got it all inside and was just closing the lid when she got an idea.

"If I had a Klingon blackjack," Nanny had said.

Baxter had told Jamie about that particular weapon. It was just a long, slender metal - a form of Klingon silveronian - but packed a deadly punch. Unlike some Klingon weapons, it didn't kill . . . just gave the victim a colossal headache for a while. Baxter had said that Mr. Scott sometimes joked after a night with a few pints of Scottish whiskey that his head felt as if it had been hammered by a Klingon blackjack.

There were no Klingon blackjack's in the toolbox, but Jamie looked at the long, slender wrench on top. She wasn't sure what it fixed, but it was long and heavy and would be easy to hide. Standing up, she slid it into the waistband of her dark pants and closed the closet door. Walking very carefully, she came to stand beside Nanny. It might be something she could use to conk Varoom.

"Now, give me the rope," Varoom ordered after Nanny finished with the Ambassador. "You're next."

"There's not much rope left," Nanny said and pointed to the loose end hanging from the Ambassador's hands.

"So, you and the Ambassador will get real chummy!" Varoom ordered. "Back up to him."

Right away Jamie saw this would not work. If she wanted to get the wrench to Nanny so she could maybe conk Varoom, Nanny could not be tied up. An idea popped into her head as fast as lightning. Jamie cried out, like a little baby, "I'm scared! I'm sooooooooooooo scared!"

It worked just like she thought. Nanny ignored Varoom and came rushing over to gather Jamie in her arms. Soothing with words, she whispered how everything would be all right, not to be afraid and lots of silly stuff like that. Jamie made herself shake and pretend cry while she worked the wrench up out of her pants. Where Varoom couldn't see, she pushed it up into Nanny's hand. Nanny stepped back a little, her eyes wide with surprise, but then a funny smile came across her face. Bending down, she whispered, "Close your eyes, Jamie. You shouldn't see this."

"That's enough!" Varoom ordered. "Get back over here."

######

"What's happening? What's going on?" Jim Kirk hadn't paced the bridge so furiously since . . . well, he didn't know when. After releasing the shuttle, he'd raced back to the bridge trying to decide if visual contact with the shuttle would tip Varoom over the edge. Putting a visual on would result in a green light coming up on the command dash of the shuttle. Although it was the hardest thing he'd ever done - almost - he ordered that they not maintain visual contact with what was happening on the shuttle. However, he could listen in on a live audio without anyone being the wiser.

Uhura had set up a communication's audio monitor with the shuttle. Since everything spoken aboard a shuttle was automatically recorded, she'd rerouted the tapes to stream live on the bridge. Words and noises came through in static and interference. They'd heard Varoom's threats, some whispers and a loud clang. The Ambassador's pompous demands came through as well as Jamie being ordered to get the rope.

"I can't seem to get a clear sound, sir," Uhura apologized. "Jamie and the Nanny seem to be whispering to one another . . . I think . . . yes . . . Jamie isn't crying anymore."

It had been like someone ripping out his heart to hear Jamie's plaintive cry of being scared. Jim wanted to rush to her side, to cradle her in his arms and keep her safe.

"Captain!"

"I hear it, Lt.!"

Chaos seemed to have erupted on the shuttle. There were the sounds of feet running, a loud thunk and then the sound of a . . . a body falling. The Ambassador's words were garbled, as if he'd moved farther away from a recording ring. Suddenly, Caroline began to scream and shout. Jamie's voice came to them as a thin, reedy warning, "Something's wrong with the shuttle!"

"Does anyone hear Varoom?" Jim asked, struggling with opening communications.

Then without waiting for an answer, he commanded Uhura to break their code of silent monitoring and open ship to shuttle communications. "Shuttle _Apollo_, this is Captain Kirk, what's happening? What's wrong?"

Jamie's voice called out full of tears and fear, "Daddy! The shuttle is falling."

"Ceptain!" Checkov confirmed this fact, "The shuttle is in free fall. No one is piloting and the Auto Pilot has been turned off!"

"Lock on with the tractor beam!"

Frantic maneuvering on Checkov's panel, "I kan't Ceptain! It's impossible to lock on at the rate of speed. Collision with the planet in ten minutes."

"Ambassador! Caroline! What's happening? What's going on? Varoom! You're on a collision course with the planet."

A frantic voice came over the communications, "Captain," the Nanny's voice shook with terror. "Varoom is . . . knocked out. When he fell he hit the Auto Pilot and knocked it off. I'm so dizzy and I can't stand . . . Auto Pilot . . . I don't know how . . . Ow!" The last words came through in agony and another loud thunk came across. On the bridge they could hear the Ambassador shouting imprecations and dire predictions about Jim Kirk's captaincy.

"Ceptain! Collision in eight minutes!"

"Keep trying to lock on!"

"Jamie! What happened?"

At first, with his heart lodged in his throat he didn't think there'd be an answer. Then her tearful voice came through, "I'm scared, Daddy. I'm scared. Nanny fell and hurt herself and Lt. Varoom . . . he's bleeding . . . and I'm gonna be . . . " they heard the sound of retching . . . "sick. I'm sick!" The last word went up on a high, keening wail. Jim wanted to jump out the view screen where he could see the shuttle barreling toward the planet's surface. He'd seen what was left of shuttle crashes . . . the fragments and ash . . . he did not want his daughter to become a statistic.

"Jamie! Listen to me!" He managed to keep his voice strong and forceful although his heart thudded in pure adrenalin. "You have to put the shuttle back on Auto Pilot! Now. If you do we can grab you with the tractor beam."

"I . . ." sniff, sniff, "don't know how."

"Five minutes."

"Jamie Diana Kirk, stop being a baby! You can do it. Do you see a big, silver lever on the shuttle dash? It has the word Auto on it in big, red letters. Look for it. Now!"

Tension filled the bridge as if they all held their collective breaths. They waited as the precious seconds ticked by. Noises came over, sniffling and fumbling and finally, Jamie's voice, "I see it, but I'm so dizzy. The shuttle keeps spinning an' it's hard to stand up." They heard sounds as if Jamie might be dragging herself into the control chair. "What do I do?"

"Just pull it toward the control chair."

"It feels . . . stuck."

_No, not that. Let it not be hung in position_.

Suddenly, Jamie made a childish sound of dismay, "Ick, ick, ick! It's all bloody and disgusting. I don't want to touch it again."

"Jamie! Pull it now, hard!"

"Are you mad at me, Daddy? Am I gonna be . . ."

"Pull it!"

"Got 'em!" Checkov whooped in delight. The bridge exploded into applause and a collective release of breath. "Tractor beam holding, Captain. We'll reel'em in an' have them back on the _Enterprise_ in less than ten minutes."

Suddenly, his legs felt as weak and limp as if he'd tried to slog through a Batswana desert without anti-gravity boots. Jim dropped into the command chair and only then realized he'd been clenching his hands so tight his palms were bleeding. His chest expanded with a breath so deep it hurt. Then suddenly, a lightness and a joy came over him as Checkov began counting out the minutes until the shuttle docked. He was on his feet at once and heading for the turbo. As soon as Jamie stepped off that ship, he intended to grab her and never let her go.

After the shuttle _Apollo_ had arrived safely in the shuttle deck and was cleared to be boarded, Jim Kirk was the first at the door. Then he had to fume and pace while it became clear the doors were not going to be opened from inside. Without a pilot and proper landing procedures, everything had locked into place. Jamie wasn't tall enough and clearly too upset to listen to a long-involved procedure for opening the shuttle's door. A shuttle crew was on hand to manually open the doors and the process took less than five minutes. To Jim it felt like an eternity.

Jamie was the first out, crying a little and wiping her eyes on the sleeve of a stained blue shirt. Wisps of dark curls floated in her face and almost covered one red-rimmed eye. The little girl looked the worse for wear and smelled just as bad, but she was alive. That's all that counted just then. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry," she kept repeating over and over. "I didn't mean to be naughty."

Nothing mattered but grabbing her up in his arms and holding her so tight she wiggled for room to breathe. "It's all right," he answered to each of her apologies, murmuring into her ear and smoothing down her sticky hair. "It wasn't your fault."

He was aware that people moved and spoke around him. Shuttle crew. Security officers. That Bones had been there from Sickbay, waiting to assess the injuries on board the shuttle. From somewhere past Jamie's rapid breathing and the comforting thud thud of her small heart, Jim heard words directed at him.

"Looks like everyone's going to be okay." Bones voice came as if from a distance. "Varoom's got a nasty crack on his head. He'll have a whale of a headache, but he'll live to face the Federation authorities. The Nanny's okay too. She must have banged her head again and knocked herself out. We'll take'em both to Sickbay for a while."

There was someone else he knew he should ask about, but Jim couldn't focus his attention on anything but his daughter. It didn't matter. A second later a loud, booming voice reminded him all too well of Ambassador McCale.

"An outrage!" The Ambassador fussed as he came down the shuttle ramp, helped along by O'Flynn and Ferguson. His hands dragged lines of the rope used to tie him and he grappled with the knots, trying to loosen them without much success. Ferguson, from Security, was having a heck of a time trying to get the Ambassador to answer questions so he could file a report. "Captain Kirk! This is an outrage! You can be sure the Federation will hear about this. This is what comes of having children on a starship. Your Children in Space Program should be abolished, and all these children sent home! Nothing good can come of something so outlandish!"

Jim didn't feel like being diplomatic or using civil talk. What he'd like to reply to the Ambassador wasn't fit for his daughter's ear, so he bit the inside of his cheek and took time to form less incendiary words. "If it wasn't for the Children in Space program and my daughter, you'd have burnt up entering Mavaro's atmosphere as the shuttle went into free fall."

"If it weren't for your daughter," the pompous man huffed, finally succeeding in yanking lose one of his bounds and tossing the rope to the floor in disgust, "we wouldn't have been taken hostage! If she hadn't been kidnapped in the first place, Lt. Varoom would not have panicked. If there had been no children aboard, he wouldn't have been tempted to take her at all . . ."

It might have been the steely set of Jim's jaw or the fire in his eyes that stopped the Ambassador from speaking more of his closed-minded opinion. Or it might have been Jim's deadly quiet, "Get him out of my sight," to his Security team.

"You haven't heard the last of this, Captain Kirk."

"I'm sure I haven't." It was all he could manage without putting Jamie down and throttling the man. How dare he blame a child for Varoom's greedy decision to kidnap her?

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Jamie's tears came faster as the Ambassador walked away. The words stumbled over one another as she tried to explain. "I didn't want that mean old Ambassador to take the _Enterprise_ away from you. I thought if I could talk to him an' explain about me being in that King's old jail he would understand. But, he still sounds mad an' it's all my fault!"

"Sh, sh, it's not your fault." _If anything, it's mine for bringing her out here. It's my fault. I wanted her with me so badly that I've endangered her life not once but several times._

"It is! It is!" Jamie had clearly reached the end of her rope, the stress of the day sending her into hysteria. It was all he could do to keep a tight grip on her as she thrashed in his arms, trying to battle her way out of an imaginary foe. "I'm gonna be sick an' there's blood on my hands! Wipe it off, Daddy!"

There were only a couple of small drops on the tip of one finger, but Jim made a big pretense of wiping it off. He started toward Sickbay, whispering reassurances as his heart squeezed tighter and tighter with guilt. _I never should have brought her into space_.

Bones met him at the door of Sickbay. "I figured you'd be bringing her on in. Sounds like she needs a sedative and a little calming down."

"No! No!" Jamie's eyes widened at the bright lights and medicinal smell as a new threat took her attention. Although Bones tried to be discreet, Jamie saw the hypo and cringed, burying her face into Jim's shoulder. "I don't want no old hypo. It stings! I don't want . . . ow!"

"She'll be okay in a while," Bones said. "It's pretty mild but it will give her a chance to sleep some of the scare away. You can put her down in that bed over there."

"Not until she's asleep." Jamie's tears became little sniffles, and then there were pauses between even the little hiccup cries. Finally, she was dead weight in his arms, her mouth leaving a moist spot on his gold velour shirt. He laid her on the bed and stood over it holding her hand. "I never should have brought her into space." The realization came with a heavy price, he knew. The idea of giving Jamie up, of sending her back to Earth, tore his heart in two. Just as it had when he'd had to give up searching for Diana. He wasn't sure he could survive another wrenching blow like that. "She hasn't been safe since she's been on the _Enterprise."_

"Jim, think about this before you do anything rash. You've worked a long time to implement the Children in Space program - all because your main goal was to have Jamie with you. We've talked about this for years. How you didn't want her to grow up hardly knowing you. How you didn't want to go home on shore leave one day and find out she was getting married or graduating from the Space Academy or becoming a grandmother! You wanted her here with you."

He sighed. None of his feelings about wanting Jamie with him had changed. But as her father, he knew it was his responsibility to keep her safe. "I still want her with me, Bones, but at what cost? She's been in the Mavaro jail, kidnapped twice by Varoom, she almost got killed when that shuttle . . . " Even holding tight to her hand, knowing she was safe, his blood chilled at what might have happened.

"And so what if you send her back to Earth? Will she be any safer there? You told me yourself that Winona had a couple of kidnap scares with Jamie."

"She did . . . but space is less forgiving of mistakes than Earth."

"What the devil is that supposed to mean?" Bones asked in his normal, crotchety Southern drawl.

"It means I want her with me but I've been wrong. I never should have brought her into space. She was happy on Earth with Mother."

Playing the Devil's Advocate, Bones prodded, "Okay, so let's say you do send her back home. Where's she going? Boarding school? With Diana's parents who despise you? The foster home where Peter lives? Who's going to protect her then?"

"I don't know. I'll have to figure it out."

They were interrupted by a med tech. "Captain Kirk, Lt. Uhura has been trying to reach you, sir. She's managed to get a clear transmission from Starfleet. Ambassador Nagasaki wishes to speak to you at once."

"Thank you. Tell her I'm on my way to the Bridge." He looked down at Jamie again, bent over and planted a kiss on her moist forehead. She'd been through so much today and even in sleep she looked unsettled. "Call me the minute she starts to wake up, Bones. I want to be here when she opens her eyes."

Bones nodded. "Jim, think it over well before you make a decision. And one other thing, you might just want to ask that little girl there what she wants. Seems to me part of the choice should be hers."

Although he nodded, Jim knew in his heart he'd be the one to make the decision. Jamie hadn't wanted to come on the _Enterprise _at all. He'd disrupted her life for his own selfish gain and now Jamie would pay the price for his bad judgment.


	16. Chapter 16

"Captain," Uhura greeted him as Jim exited the turbo and made his way to the Command Chair. "Starfleet Command has been requesting I put you on visual as soon as you arrive." Although she tried to look upbeat, he could sense a foreboding in Uhura's placid features. She was concerned about Ambassador McCale's threats.

Mr. Spock rose from the command chair and moved aside, going back to the Science Station without a word except a nod. Yet, Jim could feel that his Science Officer hoped for the best solution to the problem. It was not Spock's way to offer comfort, still his nod meant that he too hoped for Starfleet's approval.

"Put him on visual, Lt."

"Yes, Captain."

The viewscreen filled with Ambassador Nagasaki's Asian features. "Captain Kirk. We've been trying to reach you for a while now. Lt. Uhura tells me there's been some type of interference with the planet Mavaro. It took us awhile here to get through, but I wanted to personally speak with you. Ambassador McCale has made some accusations and of course, we got word about your deal with King Hescate regarding the free shipping."

Jim sat back and stiffened himself, preparing for anything. Although he'd rather not lose the _Enterprise_, maybe it was the answer about Jamie. If he had to take a desk job, if he still had a home with Starfleet, he could have Jamie with him anyway. Maybe.

"King Hescate has been most enthusiastic about your offer of the free shipping. While our Shipping Department has estimated this will be a costly giveaway, it will also reap considerable profits in the long run. The King has gotten many of the planets in this quadrant to contact Federation Shipping, even several who had originally gotten contracts with the Altrusians. . ." Ambassador Nagasaki chuckled, his inscrutable Asian face beaming. "While we can't give all of them six months, we have been able to negotiate deals of lesser time which have been accepted. In the long run, the profits and the peaceful negotiations we will gain will be immense. Good work, Captain Kirk!"

Around him, Jim could feel a collective exhale of relief in his bridge crew. He tried, without much success, to manage a modest show of pride. Suddenly, feeling as if the weight of the galaxy had been lifted from his shoulder, he couldn't stop grinning like a fool. So, despite Ambassador McCale's threats, he hadn't lost the _Enterprise. _"Well, um . . . thank you, Ambassador." To be honest, he knew he had to let Starfleet know he hadn't planned the shipping deal. "It wasn't exactly anything I planned, Sir. I'm sure you've heard about the circumstances with my daughter on Mavaro."

The Ambassador nodded.

Fumbling a little with the story, Jim's hand played across the arm of the command chair as he tried to still the frenetic beating of his heart. "Offering the shipping was a bribe to get her safe release. I'm sure . . . as Ambassador McCale has told you . . . having the children along has made things a little more . . . difficult in our dealings with Mavaro. The Children in Space program has encountered more than a little . . ." _I'm repeating myself and why do I feel as if I have sweat pouring from my forehead? _

On the viewscreen, the Ambassador waved a hand in a so-what gesture. "No explanations necessary, Captain. I've heard McCale's rumblings as have the other Federation Council members. He speaks for no one but himself. That old bag of hot air!"

Behind him, Uhura stifled a rather undignified snort of laughter.

"He's always got a complaint about something." The Ambassador continued. "I've learned to take him with a grain of space dust. The Federation is aware of the whole story and despite your mishaps recently, we believe the Children in Space program is certainly worth keeping. There are bound to be bumps in the road getting started, but it should all even out one day. We are quite pleased at the number of new enlistments since children are allowed to accompany their parents. Again, excellent work, Captain. This idea will have far-reaching ramifications for the good."

Jim nodded in what he hoped was an acknowledgement of the Ambassador's faith in him. At the same time he wondered if this would also reflect badly for Jamie if she went back to Earth. He'd learned from having George Kirk as a father that sometimes having a hero for a dad made life difficult for the child. "Um . . . thank you."

"I trust your daughter is no worse the wear for her recent kidnapping by Lt. Varoom? We will, of course, have Security personnel at the Denali Base to take him into custody when you arrive."

"Jamie is . . . um, recovering."

"Excellent! I'd say you and your daughter have earned some free time. When was the last time you had shore leave?" Ambassador Nagasaki asked.

"Shore leave? Well, I . . . I'm not sure."

Behind him Spock interrupted in a murmur, "I believe it has been five months, three weeks and fourteen days, for the record."

"Thank you for clarifying, Mr. Spock. Jim, take some before you leave Mavaro. Your daughter would love the fun park, I'm sure. It's renowned across the galaxy. And Captain, when you reach the Denali Base send Ambassador McCale tottering home. We had thought that allowing him to handle the shipping deals would keep him out of our hair for a while. However, it appears he can make his grievances heard across the galaxy. Perhaps a desk job . . . in the East . . "

With that hopeful thought, the Ambassador closed the transmission.

On the bridge, the crew reacted with a loud burst of applause! Spock appeared at his side; his eyebrow raised in a reflective gesture. "It would seem," he said, "as if once again everything has worked out to your advantage, Captain. Your . . ." for a second he seemed at a loss for words as he searched his mind for a fit tribute, "your gamble to offer the Mavaronians free shipping was a success."

"And don't forget that the Children in Space program is safe," Uhura commented. "Captain, permission to contact Mr. Scott to let him know how the conversation went. He was concerned about his nephew's future aboard the E_nterprise_."

"Certainly, Lt. Why not a general announcement. I'm sure a lot of the crew are wondering."

While Uhura happily related the announcement over the ship's central communications line, Spock leaned over to ask, "And will you be taking Jamie to the planet as the Ambassador wished? May I remind you that you are long overdue for shore leave, Captain."

"I don't know. Jamie . . ." he left the thought unfinished and stood up. "You have the com, Mr. Spock. I'll be in . . . my quarters." He had some serious thinking to do and he needed quiet.

"Very well, Captain."

#####

Although he planned to think, once in his quarters Jim could do nothing but sit in the chair that had once been his father's. Absentmindedly running his hand along the leather arms, he tried to imagine the _Enterprise_ without Jamie onboard. A future without her presence . . . it was startling bleak.

After a while he noticed a green light blinking on his personal computer. He got up and went to retrieve the message. Anticipating it to be from Bones, he was startled to hear instead his mother's recorded voice. It was Skymail without the video and filled with cracks, pops and interspace static. When he thought of the light years between Mavaro and Camaroon's Folly, Jim was surprised the message had gotten through at all.

In between the interstellar interference, Winona Kirk's commanding voice rang through loud and clear, beginning with the use of his whole name. A ploy that had turned his young knees to jelly when he'd been caught in mischief as a child. "James Tiberius Kirk! What's this I hear about you planning to send Jamie back to Earth?"

_And which of my 'friends' put that bug in your ear?_

_ "_Surely not! Jamie needs to be with you now. Not years from now when you retire from Starfleet, if you ever do. I don't care what you have to do to keep her on the _Enterprise, _Jim, but you make sure you do. Jamie's been fatherless too long. Don't deny her both parents. Winona out."

He stood for a second longer, his thoughts a million miles away. The sharp whistle of an incoming communication brought him back to his senses. "Kirk, here."

"Jim, looks like Jamie's going to be coming out of the sedative in a couple of minutes now."

"I'll be right there." _And I wish I knew what decision I was going to make_.

#####

Jamie woke up, frightened at all the scary thoughts crowding into her mind. The inside of her mouth felt as dry as space dust and every part of her hurt. Her arms and legs ached; even her head felt like something must have sat on it. Sitting up, she clutched the edge of the sheet and blinked her eyes at the bright lights.

"You're all right," Dr. McCoy was there by the bed, handing her a cup of water. "Drink this and you'll feel better."

Suspicious about that, Jamie stared at the yellow cup. "Will it make me go to sleep again?" She glared up at him, not quite forgiving him for that old hypo. Jamie itched the place on her neck that still hurt from that. Doctors tried to pretend like they didn't hurt -not like in the ancient times when they stuck people with needles - but Jamie knew better. "'Cause I'm not drinking it."

On the other side of the bed she heard a laugh and turned to see Daddy smiling at her. "I think she's figured you out, Bones."

Dr. McCoy didn't act angry. Smiling, he held the cup out and said, "It's just plain water with a little cherry flavoring. Promise."

"Go ahead and drink it, honey."

Not real sure, but so thirsty she had to drink something, Jamie took the cup and drank. It did taste like cherry and that could hide a lot of nasty stuff. But, it didn't make her feel one bit sleepy, just better.

"See." Dr. McCoy chuckled as she handed him the cup. "I'll leave you two alone," he nodded to Daddy.

Suddenly, Jamie didn't know where to look. She thought maybe Daddy would be awful mad about her getting in another shuttle. Maybe he would start hollering and tell her she had to go back home. Jamie wasn't sure how she felt about that. Even though she missed Gramma and Iowa, a tiny spot in her heart already ached when she thought about having to go back to Earth. Maybe Daddy had to be the Captain most of the time on the ship, but she still got to see him. _If I went home, it might be years and years before I saw Daddy again. _

"I'm sorry, Daddy." Probably saying that was a good start. He hadn't started hollering yet and . . . Jamie glanced up at him. Daddy was looking down at her, not saying anything. She couldn't tell if he looked mad or not. There wasn't any smile on his face, but he wasn't frowning either. Daddy looked mostly a little . . . sad. "Truly. I told Nanny we had to go to the shuttle deck an' say goodbye to the Ambassador. She didn't want to." Jamie was through getting other people in trouble. "But, I just ran and she had to follow me."

"Why was it so important for you to get there, Jamie?"

"I heard Teacher tell Nanny that the Ambassador might take away the _Enterprise _. . . because of me being in that jail. He was gonna tell everybody in Starfleet and make you lose your ship." Jamie wiped away a stray tear that trickled out of her eye. "I didn't want you to lose the _Enterprise_ 'cause of me. I wanted to tell him it was my fault and ask him to please not be mad at you."

"Even though you hate the _Enterprise_ second?" Daddy asked and by the teasing in his voice, Jamie felt like maybe she could breathe again. The scary fist around her heart started to open and her insides didn't feel like a bunch of Titan glowbugs were jumping around.

_He isn't mad! He isn't going to holler._

Jamie shook her head. If she opened her mouth just then, she knew all the words would come out blubbery like a baby. When she thought maybe she could say the words, she whispered, "I don't think I hate the E_nterprise_ anymore . . . not all the way."

"I'm glad to hear that. And, I have good news for you. I heard from Ambassador Nagasaki awhile ago and there's no danger that I'll lose the _Enterprise_. No one at the Federation cares what Ambassador McCale says. They think giving King Hescate the free shipping was a very good thing."

Throwing her arms around Daddy's neck, Jamie hugged tight. "I'm so glad! Now I don't have to tell him I'm sorry."

Daddy chuckled way down deep in his chest and the rumbling tickled the cheek Jamie pressed against his shoulder. "Ambassador Nagasaki also said something that concerns you."

This didn't sound good. Maybe the whole Federation was mad at her. Maybe they would make her go back to Earth and leave the Children in Space program. The thought made her feel awful hollow inside, like at the end of Christmas vacation when you had to go back to school. Like everything good and fun was over forever. "I . . .Is he mad at me?"

"No." Daddy answered gently and pressed his forehead to hers so she could look straight into his hazel eyes. "In fact, he said that while we're here on Mavaro, you and I should go on shore leave together. The Ambassador thought you might enjoy the fun park. Would you? We can stay a couple of days."

_That old place! _Jamie thought back to her last visit there and shuddered. Even the thought of riding the ride Javik called wicked fun didn't interest her. But Daddy thought she wanted to go and she _would _have him to herself. "I . . . guess . . . if you do, Daddy."

Maybe Daddy had to go to make old King Hescate happy.

"That doesn't sound like a very enthusiastic response." Daddy smiled. "I'm sure the Ambassador thought you might enjoy it, and you did miss your chance to go with the other children onboard."

Biting the edge of her lip, Jamie worked up the courage to tell him the truth. She leaned around and whispered in his ear. "Do we have to go there?"

"Certainly not. We can go anywhere you'd like or nowhere at all. There are some nice moons near Mavaro. One has a climate like the Rocky Mountains . . . we` could . . ."

"Go camping?" Suddenly, Jamie squealed at all the exciting possibilities. "Could we go camping, Daddy? Please."

Daddy looked happy about her choice too. He gave her an extra squeezy hug and said, "Camping it is. I'll have Yeoman Barrows make the arrangements for us to go down to . . ."

No, no, no, this was not what Jamie wanted. Maybe Daddy saw the worried look on her face because he looked right into her eyes and asked quietly. "What is it you want to do, Jamie? Tell me. We'll do whatever you like."

"Daddy, couldn't we go camping at home? In the field behind the barn where the pond is and the fireflies come out at night . . ."

"I'm sorry, honey, but we're light years away from . . . how would we . . ." Daddy started to say, looking worried and sad at the same time, until his mind figured it out. A big understanding grin spread across his face. "Ah, the Holo Room . . ." He gave her another hug and a giant kiss, pulled her out of the bed and took her hand. "That sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long time!"

Jamie felt so happy her heart bumped in skippy jumps inside. _We're going camping! Just me an' Daddy._


	17. Chapter 17 The End

"Do you want another marshmallow, Daddy?"

Across the campfire, Daddy made a funny face and groaned. He shook his head and leaned back against a log. "If I eat anything else, I'm going to explode. Where do you put it all?"

Jamie shrugged, pulled the stick with her blackened marshmallow away from the fire and watched it burn itself out. The best ones were all black on the inside but gooey and soft on the inside. Yummy. She thought maybe she'd had ten or fifteen or maybe more. Licking her fingers, she smiled at Daddy. His eyes were closed, and he looked like maybe he was sleeping. Right now, he looked like a real daddy, not a starship captain in jeans, a red plaid, flannel shirt and a jacket. Jamie's insides were still bouncing in excitement and happy bubbles at being here with him, nobody bothering them at all. But, if he went to sleep now, she wouldn't have anybody to talk to.

It was starting to get dark. The sky behind the pond was purplish orange and the night birds around the farm were saying goodnight to each other. A loud bullfrog croaked somewhere. Another answered. Past the trees there were deep, dark shadows maybe hiding something scary. Jamie laid down her stick, walked around the fire and sat down right next to Daddy. When he didn't move, she grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her neck, then snuggled in closer.

"Daddy? You wanna play Fizzbin, again?"

He answered around a deep yawn, "Jamie, I am Fizzbinned out. We've played it twenty-seven times. Aren't you tired?"

"No." She waited a few minutes and whispered, "I'm glad we came here, aren't you, Daddy? Instead of going to that old fun park."

He didn't answer at first, so she had to repeat the question a little louder. This time he jumped like she'd woken him up, but that was okay. Jamie didn't much like the idea of being awake, alone, with the dark pressing in from all sides like a scary black thing.

"I thought you wanted to go to the fun park when we first got to Mavaro," he sat up and reached over for the tin coffeepot by the campfire. "Why'd you change your mind?"

"I didn't!" Jamie answered, glad she'd got him awake and moving. If something came out of those woods - and did those trees look like they were coming closer - Daddy could protect her.

"You could have fooled me, stowing away on a shuttle just so you could get down to the planet. That sure sounds to me like someone who wanted to go to Disney Mavaroon awfully bad. You know that was wrong, don't you, Jamie? The rules are that no children are allowed on the shuttle deck, you know that right?"

Grownups asked the dumbest questions. "Course I know that, Daddy!" And before she could think about it, Jamie blurted out the truth, "I didn't stow away on that old shuttle to go to the fun park anyway. I was hiding from somebody and Varoom took off before I could get out."

Uh, oh . . . right away from the way Daddy sat up straighter and took a sip of his coffee, Jamie knew she'd stepped in dangerous territory. If he asked questions - she looked at his hazel eyes, gazing into the fire while he tried to figure out what she'd said - yup, he was going to want to know more. Jamie sighed. What would happen if she tattled on Centauri?

"When Varoom landed the shuttle on Mavaro," Daddy took a small sip of coffee and leaned back against the log, stretching out his legs, "you got out and went to the fun park. Why'd you do that?"

Jamie bit a corner of her lip. Maybe she was in trouble . . . but didn't Daddy already punish her for going to the fun park? "It looked kind of fun from the shuttle an' I had to wait for someone to go back to the _Enterprise_ anyway. Then that robot told me I was going to jail."

"I see."

Daddy was quiet a long time after that just staring into the fire, listening to its crackling and watching the tiny sparks of flame sail into the black, black sky. Jamie thought maybe, just maybe he wouldn't ask anymore questions.

"Who were you hiding from?"

Or maybe he would. Jamie sighed; tired of keeping secrets, tired of being afraid something would pop out of her mouth at the wrong time. "Centauri and Javik."

"The older children in the learning cycle? Why?"

"Not really Javik, except he wanted me to go back to teacher . . ." Might as well tell him the whole story. Jamie started at the beginning with how Centauri pestered her about going to the fun park, calling her captain's daughter and being mean to the little kids. She explained about how she'd pretended to leave her sweater to get away from teacher, then gotten in the turbo and ended up on the shuttle. "Varoom hollered at them to leave the shuttle deck, but he didn't see me. I was gonna come out and tell him, honest, but the cabinet door locked me inside. I wasn't planning on going to the fun park, Daddy, or getting put in that old jail."

Maybe she had spoiled the whole campout now. Jamie's eyes watered and the fire got all blurry orange/yellow when she looked at it. The inside of her nose prickled and her throat squeezed tight. _I won't cry. I won't._

Daddy's arm came around her shoulders and he pulled her close to his side. "I'm glad you told me the truth." Then right after she got all cozy warm and thought maybe things would be okay, he said something kind of scary. "Did you know that Dr. McCoy has been evaluating all the children in the program - to see which ones are adapting well to life on the _Enterprise_?"

"No. What does evaluate mean?"

"Kind of testing and watching - to see if any of the children should be sent back to Earth when we reach the Denali Base. This trip to Mavaro was a kind of trial run of the Children in Space program, Jamie. To see who would be able to stay onboard the _Enterprise_."

Suddenly, Jamie's chest got really, really tight and she wondered if she could still breath. "I . . ." she started to say but her mouth got so dry no words came out. Was Daddy telling her she would have to go back to Earth? That she had failed Dr. McCoy's test? And if she went back to Earth where would she live with Gramma gone away?

Daddy was still talking but Jamie's ears were roaring from the too fast beating of her heart. Or maybe it was because she didn't want to listen, in case he was telling her she had to leave. _I don't want to leave, Daddy. I don't! _Then she did hear a word here and there and Jamie tried hard to listen. " . . .Centauri. I'm afraid she and her mother are going to be left at the base. Mrs. Waverly thinks it's best too and as a Science Officer, she has a ready placement at the Starfleet base there. So you won't have to worry about her bothering you again."

"Could you say that again, Daddy?"

"Weren't you listening?" He teased and tapped the end of her nose. "I said that I'm sorry Centauri bothered you and the other children. Dr. McCoy has been evaluating her and he doesn't think she fits in the program. She and her mother are going to be left at the Denali Base when we get there."

_No more Centauri? _Jamie took a big gulp of fresh, night air and choked on a breath of smoke from the fire. "Javik won't have to leave will he? Or Baxter? Or . . "

_Me? _Suddenly, Jamie didn't think she could stand not knowing a second longer. "Daddy, I didn't mean to listen but I heard teacher tell nanny that you might send . . . she said . . .I heard . . .Teacher said that maybe you were going to send me back to Earth to stay with Grandma and Grandpa."

Daddy didn't answer right away which was very scary. If he didn't say it, wouldn't he answer right away? The longer he waited to say anything, the more Jamie's insides curled up. A big chunk of fear perched in her chest. _I won't go there!_

_ "_Do you think you'd like living with your mother's parents?"

"No! They don't like me."

"I'm sure they love you, Jamie," Daddy spoke slowly as if he wanted it to be true, but he knew it wasn't.

"They don't! Grandma always cries and says I look just like Mama. And Grandpa says mean things about you all the time. I don't want to go there. Please, Daddy, don't send me there."

"Maybe there's somewhere else you'd like to live, someone you'd like to stay with . . . your mother's sister or . . ."

"NO!" Jamie knew she shouldn't holler at Daddy, but all the scary thoughts inside just came rushing out. Before she knew it, she was crying and blubbering words and telling Daddy that she didn't want to leave him or the _Enterprise_. "I want to stay with you! Don't send me away! Please!"

Maybe it was a good thing she'd hollered because Daddy tossed down his tin cup of coffee and pulled her into his strong arms. For a long time, he held her on his lap, cuddling her close to his chest and talking, talking, talking. Daddy didn't want her to leave either. That's all Jamie heard, but it chased every scrap of fear away and all the happy bubbles inside came back.

"As long as you're happy on the _Enterprise_, Jamie, I don't ever want you to leave. But, I want you to be safe too. You ended up in the Mavaro jail and got kidnapped by Varoom . .. I don't want anything like that to happen to you again. Do you understand? I want to keep you safe and I'm not sure the _Enterprise_ is the best place to do that."

"Yes, it is, Daddy." Jamie didn't know if she convinced him, but he didn't say anything else about her going back to Earth.

"If I hadn't brought you into space, bad things wouldn't have happened."

"Bad things happen on Earth too, Daddy, all the time. An' maybe if Varoom took me on Earth, the _Enterprise_ wouldn't have been able to find me. And I wouldn't have you . . ."

"Well, we don't have to make any decisions right now."

Jamie didn't know if Daddy had made up his mind or not. Safe and warm in the circle of his arms, she let his words drift off. The campfire was burning low, sending out a few crackles and pops. The darkness was complete now and beyond the circle of light, she couldn't see anything but black. Even the tall shapes of the trees had faded into a shadow world.

"Are you sleepy, yet? I am," Daddy said in a more normal voice.

"Can't we sit up just a few more minutes?" No way did she want to leave the circle of safety and get into a cold sleeping bag. "Please?"

Daddy didn't say yes or no but he didn't move either.

While she had him to herself, Jamie took a deep breath and asked a question that had bothered her for a long, long time. "Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Where's my mother?"

#####

Although he braced himself, Jim knew he'd been anticipating the question for years. Each time he'd gone to Earth, his own mother had admonished him to give Jamie an explanation. Over and over he'd rehearsed what he'd say, how he'd tell her the truth. Each time, he'd talk himself into believing there would be a better time. If he had a choice, he'd have waited again . . . but maybe now was the time to bite the bullet and tell her. There was no way to sugarcoat the truth. Jamie would either accept it . . . or a wedge of anger would begin to grow, and she would blame him. Maybe someday as much as he blamed himself.

"I don't know, Jamie."

The little girl twisted around on his lap to face him. She stared up at him with a serious expression. "Is she . . . dead?"

"I don't know that either, but I don't think so."

"Then, where is she?"

Jim sighed; it was time to answer her questions. "The truth is, honey, I don't know where you mother is because she's . . . lost somewhere. It's a long story but it doesn't look like we're going anywhere, and I guess it's time you know."

"Centauri said you did something . . . bad . . .that you let Mama be captured."

"I did."

He could see the questions in her puzzled eyes, so like her mother. Although reliving that day would be hard, he squared his shoulders and started talking. Jamie had a right to know. "Your mother and I met on Earth before my first five-year mission. She was studying history at a university in San Francisco, her specialty was music. Your mother loved songs from many cultures, but she especially loved old songs from Earth's past. I had to leave her behind for a while on that first mission, we couldn't be married right away. Her parents felt she was too young to be so far out in space . . . but when I came home after that first mission . . . she left with me and after a while, you were on the way. We were very happy."

"Dr. McCoy said I was born on the _Enterprise_."

Remembering Jamie's birth, Diana and his joy were bittersweet, but he managed a small smile for his daughter. "You were. It didn't take long for you to be spoiled rotten either. Most of the crew were like extra mothers and fathers."

In the soft glow of the campfire, Jamie giggled.

"You loved all the attention too."

"I wish I could remember," Jamie got a wistful look on her face and reached out to hold his hand. "What happened then?"

"Then . . ." He'd dreaded telling her for so long that pulling out the words were almost torture. "You were about one and a half when we stopped at this little nowhere planet. The Federation had sent us mostly on a mission to keep the peace between two sets of inhabitants. It was just a small place, one group of citizens kept sheep and the others were simple merchants. They had some rivalry and had asked Starfleet to intervene. Your mother, of course, was fascinated with the history of the place. Even though she wasn't in Starfleet, she'd managed to get clearance to study and record the history of various planets and moons. She'd already made a name for herself and was doing research for the Federation Council."

If I'd just refused to let her go down to the surface. Made a different choice. He could remember feeling unease that day, a premonition. But it was a planet in the middle of nowhere, nothing around . . . or so the Federation had thought.

"What happened, Daddy?"

He sighed and in a flat voice recited the rest. "A landing party beamed down to the planet. We had a couple of peacemakers aboard, diplomats that were going to try to help the people settle their differences. I was going to beam down with them to meet with a Federation official and your mother . . . she begged to go. I didn't want her to. I had a bad feeling inside . . . but Diana could be stubborn. There was a historical library she wanted to visit, one that still had paper books and ancient parchments. I finally told her she could go."

Jamie didn't ask, but he could sense her expectant waiting.

"We were going to meet at this little outdoor cafe for lunch and we did."

Even now he could recall every detail of that sunny, cobble stoned plaza with a wrought iron table, a crisp white linen cloth, see Diana's plate with a half-eaten sandwich as she chattered on and on about the wonderful discoveries she'd made. There had been a bowl of real strawberries and a small white pot of cream. He could see her beautiful face, so lovely, so animated, a gentle breeze blowing wisps of her dark curls across her silky forehead . . . and then . . . the small prickle of worry as she stared at something over his shoulder. The color drained from her face and she leaned over to whisper, "James," Diana had always called him by his full name, "maybe we should beam back up. Something's not quite right . . ." _I should have listened to her._

"While we were eating, a couple of sheep herders began to fight. Or we thought that's what they were, they wore the native dress of long white robes, tied with brown belts and sandals. Diana and I jumped up and began to walk a little away. Then more people began to fight, voices got louder, there was shouting and screaming. We started to run. I had my communicator out so we could beam aboard . . . then . . . everything happened at once."

He could never describe the horror as a crowd came from nowhere and surged through the once peaceful, pleasant plaza - overturning the wrought iron tables, crushing food, drink, and people beneath a massive hoard of people. It was like a riot had erupted and instantly a band of Romulans oozed out of the buildings in a well-coordinated takeover of the little nowhere planet. Another small planet with vast deposits of Yrtney.

"Diana and I got separated. There were so many people shoving and pushing. I held onto her as long as I could . . . then someone hit me from behind. I felt - her hand was jerked from mine and that's the last time I saw her."

Looking down into Jamie's startled eyes, he reassured her as best he could. "She hadn't been killed. One of the diplomats from Starfleet found me, dragged me into an alley and got us beamed aboard. The rest of the landing party . . . they weren't so fortunate. As soon as things settled a little, I went back down to the planet. Several times. We couldn't find Diana. Some peasant woman thought she had seen her taken aboard one of the Romulan . . ." he stopped at telling Jamie it was a slave ship. The truth was horrendous enough without knowing all the details, "ships. I tried through Federation channels to find out . . . but several planets were waging war and everything was so unstable. No one really knew the whereabouts of thousands of people."

He couldn't, wouldn't tell her that he'd been ready to stay on the planet, to comb under every rock, ever twig to find some trace of Diana. Or the despair he felt when he'd been temporarily relieved of command, when Bones and Spock had argued with him to move on. He'd been like a man possessed with one goal - to find his wife. Only when he realized he had to survive for Jamie, had he been able to leave the red clay of that forsaken place. But he had never forgotten or stopped searching . . .

"So, Mama could be alive somewhere? Wouldn't she try to find us, Daddy?"

"If she could." He let it go at that. He'd lived with the horror of each scenario of Diana's disappearance for the last seven years. Some things were so unspeakable that even if Diana were alive, she might never be able to find her way back to him or Jamie.

"Maybe she is dead," Jamie said. "Maybe she can't find us."

He didn't know if he should tell her the rest or not, but in the end, he decided Jamie had a right to know. For too long he'd skirted the responsibility of giving her the truth. It had been wrong to let Jamie wonder and worry for so long.

"Jamie, I want you to know that I did everything I possibly could to find Diana. Even now if there is a scrap of a clue, I find someone to follow it up for me. And . . ." He took a deep breath. Jamie was just a little girl. How she would take the news was anyone's guess. "There's something else you need to know. Your mother loved history, I told you that, didn't I?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"She especially loved finding old songs from different cultures and times. There was one old Earth song that spoke to her deeply. It's been a long time so I can't remember all the words, or even the tune, but there were a couple of lines ..." Even though remembering brought sharp shards of pain into his chest, as if his heart were being ripped and stripped in pieces, he forced his mind to recall the words. "Once in every life, someone comes along . . . as you came to me, it was almost like a song."

"That's pretty."

"It was, especially how she sang it. But the thing I wanted to say is that . . . a couple of years after your mother disappeared, I got a sky mail on my computer. Mr. Spock, several of the computer specialists onboard, no one could find who sent it or where it had come from, but it was recent. It was only one line . . . but it made me believe that somewhere your mother is still alive, and she wanted us to know."

"What did it say?"

"It was almost like a song." He sighed and hugged his daughter close. "Somewhere in my heart, I believe she's alive and I will do everything in my power to find her someday. If I can . . ."

Jamie was quiet for so long after that he thought she'd finally fallen asleep. She was quiet so long that more of the words to the song floated into his mind, deepening a pain he thought couldn't be any worse. _Now my broken heart, cries for you each night and it's almost like a song, but it's much too sad to write . . . it's too sad to write._

"Daddy?"

"I thought you'd gone to sleep."

Jamie shook her head. "Daddy, it wasn't your fault . . . that Mama got lost."

"It wasn't?"

"No," she answered in a very decisive way for someone so young. "It wasn't anybody's fault 'cause sometimes things just happen, even bad things. That's what Gramma always says."

"I've heard her say that many times." And suddenly, although the pain of losing Diana was still there, his heart still felt as broken, there was a sliver of something he thought might be hope. There was the belief that somewhere in the universe, his loving, beautiful wife still lived and was waiting for him to find her. And in the meantime, there was Jamie – Diana's gift to him - and he knew he couldn't let her go.

#####

"Captain," Uhura greeted him on his first shift after his onboard shore leave, "You're looking well, sir."

"Thank you, Lt.," he answered back as he settled into the familiar contours of the command chair. "I feel rested."

"It looks as if the shore leave did you a world of good, Captain," Spock remarked as he turned over the command of the Enterprise and moved back to his Science station. "Although perhaps shore leave is not the correct terminology since you never went to the planet."

"Whatever it's called, it did indeed prove relaxing." In many ways Jim felt years younger since the camping trip with Jamie. They'd stayed in the Holo Room for several days, talking, fishing, exploring the meadow and the pond. He felt as if he'd learned more about his child in that length of time than he'd ever had before. They'd talked or fell silent as the mood moved them. In time, he'd been able to answer all the questions Jamie had about what her mother had been like. He'd called up hologram images and recorded tapes of their lives. Jamie enjoyed those as he knew she would. There'd been tears and some nighttime fears, but by the time he'd left her with the Nanny this morning, Jamie had found some peace with the situation.

"Someday Mama will come back, you'll see," she whispered as he hugged her goodbye.

"I hope so," he'd answered and surprisingly he felt a small stirring of belief that it might be true. Until then . . . he had a starship to command.

"Lt. Uhura, how long until our arrival at the Denali Base?"

"In two point six days, sir."

"Mr. Spock, I trust that departure from Mavaro went without incident?"

Spock raised an eyebrow and his face wore an uncharacteristic expression of astonishment. "Certainly, Captain. It could not go otherwise."

"Excellent," Jim smiled at the various members of his crew, "Excellent. I think I feel more rested knowing I didn't have to experience all the hassles of departure." He turned next to the right. "Mr. Ferguson? I trust all the non-crew personnel have finished the work on the Children's Deck and are ready to disembark at the Denali Base."

"Yes, Captain, the work will be finished by 0500 today."

"Excellent. Who's the man in charge on the job?"

"That would be Mr. Smyth, sir."

"That's right, Smith."

"No, sir, he pronounces it SmIth."

"Smith, Smyth, whatever his name is would you ask him to come to the bridge. I have a little project I'd like to discuss with him." Jim smiled to himself and by sheer will power kept from rubbing his hands together in glee. He couldn't wait until Jamie saw what he planned.

#####

"We should give Centauri a goodbye present," Jamie said to Baxter as they sat side by side eating peanuts. Jamie cracked another shell and dropped it into the handy disposal on the table.

Baxter choked on a peanut and glared at her with a horrified expression. "Give her a present? I say we cheer when she leaves . . . or sing that old Earth song from that old- time movie teacher showed us that day . . . ding dong the witch is dead."

"She's not dying," Jamie corrected, "Just leaving. And we should give her a present. Right as she leaves the ship, so she can remember us."

"No way am I givin' her anything," Baxter's red curls shook in emphasis. "Unless it's a good swift kick out the . . ."

Jamie nudged him hard with her elbow as Centauri and Tina walked by. Thankfully, Centauri was too full of her plans to notice them.

"I'm going to do my hair in fuschia," she chattered on to Tina, "with maybe pink highlights. And I'm going to wear my white blouse with the inlaid mirrors - the one my mother bought on Venus. Last night I heard by Sky Mail that Devon, this boy I knew from the _Endeavor_ is living on Denali Base. He is soooooooooooooo dreamy. I want to look my best when I meet him again."

Jamie didn't hear the rest of Centauri's plans because the older girl walked on by, waving her hands and making sure Tina heard every word. "Yeah, I think we should give her a present, a good present. One that will make her remember us forever."

"Ha! Jamie Kirk, you are out of your mind. I wouldn't waste my credits on her!"

"Oh, I didn't mean buy her anything," Jamie made her eyes wide like when Centauri pretended to be innocent. "Maybe we could make her something. Something . . . special . . . just for her."

"You are nuts! If you think . . . hey, why are you grinning like that, Jamie. You got something in mind, don't you? Something . . . mean. Dontcha?"

"Mean? What's so mean about giving someone a present? You want to give her something, don't you, Baxter?"

He started to rub his hands together. "I think you're right. We need to give her a present. So . . . what you got in mind? This won't get us in trouble will it? Because Uncle Scotty said . . ."

"Course not!"

Looking around to see if anyone else could hear, Jamie leaned over and whispered her plan in Baxter's ear. "And don't tell anyone else!"

"Okay . . ." he giggled. "I can't wait! Bet that's the last time she plays any tricks on littler kids."

#####

Jamie had a hard time keeping Baxter from spilling the secret about the present for Centauri. When Nanny came to get her from learning cycle, Jamie had to practically threaten to tell his Uncle Scotty a couple of things if he spilled a word! It worried her a little, letting Baxter out of her sight, but Jamie knew a lot of secrets that he wouldn't want his Uncle Scotty to know. Hopefully they were strong enough to keep him quiet.

Nanny was feeling a little better since Varoom was in the brig and her head was starting to heal. But, she seemed kind of tired and sad.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the Holo Room or the Game Room with the other children?" Nanny asked as they got in the turbo for the Officer's deck.

"No. Daddy said he might have a surprise for me if I came right to my quarters after learning cycle."

Nanny looked like she might know what the surprise was, but she wasn't telling.

"Did he tell you about the surprise?"

"Maybe." A small smile curved her lips.

"What is it?"

"You'll see soon enough."

They got out on the Officer's Deck and walked along the corridor to their quarters. Jamie stopped beside her orange door and waited for Nanny to open it like always. "Hey! Nanny Banks, this is where we go in."

Nanny had walked all the way past to stand by Yeoman Barrow's door, the one right next to Daddy's quarters. Probably Nanny was still forgetting things from where Varoom hit her on the head.

"No, this is our door."

Jamie shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should just look inside to be sure." Nanny put her hand to the touch pad of Yeoman Barrow's door.

"It won't open because it's not our . . . hey!" To Jamie's surprise, the door slid open and Nanny disappeared inside. This was not good, not good at all. Yeoman Barrows didn't like anybody touching her stuff. Jamie had found that out with a couple of not so good experiences. What would she do if she found Nanny Banks in her quarters? Jamie figured it was up to her to rescue Nanny until she got her whole memory back.

"Nanny, you have to come out, now." Jamie whispered at the door, standing with her back to the quarters in case Yeoman Barrows came sneaking up on her. "That's not our quarters. You probably forgot, huh?"

Suddenly, Daddy's door opened, and he peeked out into the corridor. "What's going on out here?"

"Daddy, Nanny went in there and she thinks this is our quarters, but it's not."

Daddy was smiling in a funny way, like maybe he knew something she didn't. "Are you sure it's not your quarters? Because that looks an awful lot like some of your things in there."

Jamie spun around and peeked into Yeoman Barrow's quarters . . . only, it wasn't. Everything that had been in her quarters before was now in this one. There were her puzzles spread out on the low, glass table in the living area, and Nanny Bank's funny kitchen towels with spaceships on them hanging in the galley area. Walking slowly inside, Jamie peeked into the door to the right. Nanny's bedroom peeked back. Turning to the other door, the one closest to Daddy's quarters, Jamie opened it. "My room." She couldn't believe it. "My room is right next to yours."

"That's not all," Daddy said as he came inside. He showed her another door in the wall between their quarters. A door that hadn't been there before and he started to explain. "This door goes into my quarters so you can come in. Only your handprint and mine can open this door. Try it."

Jamie put her hand on the touch pad and whispered her name. The door slid open and she could see right into Daddy's quarters. Just like that.

"Now sometimes, it's going to be locked and you won't be allowed inside. There are times when I'll need my privacy. But whenever this door is unlocked, you are welcome to come in - even if I'm not there."

"What if?" Jamie could see the possibilities in this at once. "What if I wake up and have a bad dream and the door's unlocked? Do I have to wake up Nanny Banks first?"

Daddy smiled. "Only if you want to."

Jamie didn't have any words good enough. Instead she threw her arms around Daddy's neck and hugged him tight.

#####

After Daddy's wonderful surprise, Jamie almost changed her plans to give Centauri a present. It was, after all, kind of naughty what she and Baxter had in mind. But when Centauri smashed a banana into one of the littler kids' hair in her last learning cycle, Jamie decided to go ahead.

With Baxter's help, Jamie had found out there was nothing you couldn't find out on the ship's computer. Melting the chocolate had even been easy. And after they had done a couple of experiments in Mr. Scott's galley while he wasn't there, Jamie knew her idea would work. Nanny even helped - although she didn't know what they were up to - by giving Jamie a sweet little silver bag and some pretty white ribbon to put the present in. The hardest part was getting to Centauri as she got into the shuttle to go down to the Denali Base.

"We could ask the Captain," Baxter suggested. "Bet he'd give us permission to say good-bye."

Jamie shook her head at that. "No, it wouldn't work. He knows I don't like her."

"Maybe somebody else?"

"Teacher!"

"Huh?"

"We can ask teacher to get permission to take us to say good-bye at the shuttle deck. Let's ask."

It turned out simpler than they expected. Ms. Baldersian was happy they wanted to tell Centauri good-bye. Everyone in the learning cycle would go, she decided, which suited Jamie just fine. Some of the little kids started crying when teacher told them to follow Centauri. Jamie had a hard time whispering to them to shush up and keep still. If too many of them started crying, maybe teacher would change her mind.

The shuttle deck was crowded, almost too crowded. Jamie's heart went kadump, kadump in rhythm to all the echoing voices and metallic clangs as the shuttle crew loaded cargo and people into the various shuttles. She hid a little behind Teacher as Ambassador McCale stomped by and got into a shuttle.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Baxter hissed beside her.

All the men and women who had worked on the Children's Deck said goodbye, then laughing and waving to their new-found friends they entered _Apollo. _The noise got louder and louder.

"Here she comes!" Baxter alerted Jamie to Centauri's entrance.

Right at that second, Jamie almost lost her nerve. What if Daddy found out and he got awful mad? But then Jamie remembered all the times Centauri had teased or caused trouble. And the present wouldn't kill her or anything, just embarrass her. If Daddy did get mad, well, she would just take her punishment. But even once she thought it, Baxter still had to give her a shove forward as Centauri walked by. Her mother had already left on another shuttle with the other Starfleet personnel.

"Um, Centauri," Jamie's voice came out squeaky. "We brought you a good-bye present."

Some of the smaller children stared at her as if she was crazy. Teacher smiled though and nodded happily. "That is so sweet of you, Jamie."

"It's from Baxter too!" _No way am I taking the blame for this all by myself._

"How sweet! Isn't it sweet Centauri?"

Centauri took the little silver bag and peeked inside suspiciously. Her nose wrinkled up in disdain. "What is it?"

"A chocolate covered peach," Jamie answered. "They're delicious."

With two fingers Centauri reached into the bag and pulled out the peach. It did smell good. Jamie had made sure that all the credits in her piggy bank bought the finest chocolate from the ship store. It was smooth and perfectly round. "Um, well, thanks . . . I guess."

"We wanted to say good-bye," Jamie said in her most contrite voice, "and that I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"Oh . . ." Maybe Centauri remembered that Jamie hadn't caused her any trouble because her face got kind of red. "Oh, well, you're just a little kid. Um . . .well, bye."

Centauri turned and started to board the shuttle. This was not good at all!

"Aren't you going to take a bite?" Jamie asked. "Me and Baxter made it special for you. We washed our hands and kept everything very clean. Can't you just take one bite?"

"I don't . . ."

Thankfully, teacher joined in. "I'm sure you can take one bite, dear. Especially since the children went to so much trouble for you."

"Well . . ." Centauri still looked doubtful, maybe aware that they might be pulling a trick.

"Go on, dear."

Jamie made a sad face and let her lip quiver like she might cry. "You don't like it. If you liked it, you would take a bite."

"Well . .." First she licked a little of the chocolate coating. A surprised look came over her face. "It is good, very chocolaty."

"Take a bite," Jamie suggested.

"A big bite," Baxter said.

Smiling, Centauri did as they asked and took a huge, greedy bite. A big enough bite that the Elusian Peach inside burst open and exploded all over her pristine, white blouse – the one with the inlaid mirrors her mother had bought on Venus.

Jamie cringed a little, waiting for Centauri to holler, but she must not have noticed her blouse . . . yet.

"It is good," she smiled. "For a pesky Captain's daughter, you aren't so bad. Oh, that's my shuttle! I have to board. Goodbye!"

Centauri went happily onto the shuttle. Jamie looked at Baxter who looked back at her. No one seemed to have noticed Centauri's shirt. "Maybe it'll take a few minutes for her to . . ."

Baxter nudged Jamie and pointed at the shuttle.

Centauri's face filled up one of the viewports – her mouth was a wide-open pit of anger. Jamie didn't know what Centauri was shouting, but it kind of looked like her mouth was forming the word – monsters! The shuttle pilot appeared in the viewport and he seemed to be shouting back at Centauri.

"My goodness," Teacher said, leading the children back to the turbo lift, "What was that all about? Well, it's not my problem any longer."

Jamie shrugged and followed Baxter. Right before she got in the turbo, Javik leaned down to whisper, "Is peach, eh, Jamie Kirk?"

"A chocolate covered peach," Jamie answered, "for when she meets Devon."

Javik laughed but Jamie had a funny feeling in her stomach.

Playing a trick on Centauri didn't feel as good as she thought it would.

#####

The first night in her new quarters, Jamie had slept so sound Daddy was already on the bridge when she woke up. She used her new door anyway, just to go in and walk around. She sat in Grandpa's leather chair, touched Daddy's brush and comb and bounced on his big bed.

The next night after she lay down to go to sleep, she couldn't. Her stomach still hurt from playing the mean trick on Centauri. Not that Centauri hadn't deserved it – even Nanny Banks said when Jamie finally confessed why she couldn't eat her dinner. In fact, Nanny had even laughed. But just thinking about it made Jamie feel too awake and too sad to sleep. She must have slept a little though because after a while she woke up. It felt really late and the chrono said it was. Maybe late enough for Daddy to be in bed?

Jamie got up and went to the special door. It opened easily enough as her hand touched the hand pad. There was a little light glowing from an old-fashioned clock Dr. McCoy had given Daddy as a present. Enough to see that Daddy was in bed, all comfy and cozy under the dark comforter.

"Daddy? Daddy?" She had to shake his shoulder three times before he woke up. "Can I get in bed with you?"

Maybe he wasn't quite awake. He sort of grunted, moved over and let her slide under the warm, down blanket.

Jamie thought maybe she would tell him about Centauri, but she was too sleepy, too warm and too comfy. Snuggled next to Daddy, she thought she might tell him in the morning. Yes, that was the best time. Jamie yawned and closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when she heard a kind of humming sound. Maybe it was her imagination. Jamie covered one ear and then the other. The uncovered ear still heard the hum. Next, she covered both ears and she felt the hum buzzing through her. What was it?

"Daddy? Daddy!" This time she had to shake his shoulder five times before he woke up.

"Jamie what is it? I've had a very long day and I've very tired. If you don't lie quietly and go to sleep, you're going back to your own bed."

"Please don't send me back there! It might get me!"

Now he was awake. He ran a hand over his face and made a groaning noise. "What will get you?"

"It! Can't you hear it, Daddy? It hums."

"What?"

"That humming noise, can't you hear it?"

Daddy sat partway up and dutifully listened. "I don't hear anything."

Near tears, Jamie clutched his arm. "It's humming, Daddy. Listen."

This time Daddy sat up all the way, turned up the lights and listened. He listened for a long time and then he smiled. "That's nothing to be afraid of, honey. It's just the impulse engines."

"Engines?"

He ordered the lights to go out and lay back down. "Yes," he yawned, "it's just the sound of the _Enterprise_. Now, please, go to sleep."

Jamie lay back down and made sure she snuggled close – just in case it was something really scary. For a long time, she lay there and listened to the hum. After a while it didn't sound spooky but kind of . . . comforting. Like maybe the _Enterprise_ was humming to her. It was a nice sound after all. Jamie snuggled down and let Daddy's ship lull her to sleep.

The End

Thank you to everyone for reading! Stay tuned for more Jamie stories coming soon. You can also visit my friend, Suzy Scribbles, to read her Jamie stories.


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